What is Hazing

What is Hazing?

Hazing is when someone is pressured or forced to do something that could harm them physically, emotionally, or mentally–even if they go along with it.

Hazing refers to any action that jeopardizes a person's mental or physical well-being or forces them to engage in behaviors that put their health or safety at risk, regardless of whether they consent to participate.

Recognizing activities that might qualify as hazing and identifying warning signs that suggest someone is experienceing hazing are crucial steps in preventing harmful situations.

Types of hazing and examples

Physical Abuse: Being hit, whipped, restrained, or forced to endure excessive physical activity. Includes branding, piercing, tattooing, or exposure to extreme weather.

Forced Consumption: Being required to eat or drink substances, including food, alcohol, drugs, or anything else - against your will.

Mental Harm: Experiencing threats, intimidation, forced isolation, excessive fatigue, or sleep deprivation. Includes being subjected to distressing environmental conditions or meaningliess testing.

Humiliation and Degradation: Wearing inappropriate clothing, being pressured into lewd acts, or forced into subservient behavior.

Academic Interference: Losing sleep, being prevented from attending class or study sessions, and being required to devote excessive time to organizational activities.

Restricted Freedoms: Losing access to personal transportation, meal plans, hygience routines, or communication with members of the organization. Includes forced tracking through apps and unequal treatment based on school year.

Legal and Policy Violations: Being pressured or coerced into breaking local, state, federal laws, or university regulations.

Signs that someone might be experiencing hazing

  • A noticeable shift in behavior or attitude after joining a group
  • Expressing a desire to leave the organization without a clear reason
  • Reduced communication with friends and family
  • Signs of physical or mental exhaustion
  • Unexplained weight loss or changes in appearance
  • Mysterious injuries or frequent illness
  • Disruptions in sleep or eating patterns
  • Pulling away from usual activities and interests
  • Expressions of sadness, hopelessness, or low self-worth
  • Increased secrecy and reluctance to discuss experiences

Is this activity hazing?

  • Would I feel okay doing this if my family, a professor, or the media were watching?
  • Would the older members of this group be willing to do this too, or is it just the new members?
  • If a university staff member walked by right now, would I be worried about getting in trouble?
  • Am I being told to keep these activities a secret?
  • Is any part of this illegal?
  • Does this go against my values or the values of my organization?
  • When people justify this, do they just call it "tradition" without a real reason?
  • Does this actually serve a purpose, or is it just something we do for no real reason?

If the answer is "yes" to any of these questions, it's probably hazing.

Hazing's Impact

Students are more likely to be hazed if they knew an adult who was hazed.1

More than half of college students are involved in some form of campus hazing.2

In 95% of hazing cases, students who were aware they were hazed did not report it.2

82% of deaths from hazing involved alcohol.2

For every 10 students being hazed, only one of them realizes that they have been hazed.2

College Hazing: A national study revealed that 73% of students in fraternities or sororities experienced hazing, with common behaviors including drinking games (53%), forced alcohol consumptions (26%), and public humiliation (31%).3

Athletic Hazing: 74% of varsity athletes reported hazing, with behaviors such as drinking games (47%), forced alcohol consumption (23%), and verbal abuse (21%).3

Hazing Awareness: A survey found that 61% of students who were aware of hazing on their campus said it occurred occasionally, while 32% reported it was fairly common.4

Types of Hazing: Among students familiar with hazing incidents, 83% reported alcohol-related hazing, 54% noted psychological harm, 42% experienced physical harm, and 29% mentioned sexual assault.4

Fraternity and Sorority Hazing: The most commonly perceived hazing behaviors in Greek life included group lineups (44%), forced alcohol consumption (43%), and embarrassment (42%).4

1. Alfred University Study, Dr. Norm Pollard, Dr. Elizabeth Allan et al, 1999
2. National Study of Student Hazing, Hazing in View: Students at Risk, Dr. Elizabeth Allan and Dr. Mary Madden, 3. 2006 - 2008
3. Stophazing.org
4. Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research