Hazing in View - University of Maine
Elizabeth J. Allan, Ph.D / Mary Madden, Ph.D
Documented problems related to student hazing include physical and psychological harm and even death. Hazing in View: College Students at Risk provides initial findings of the National Study of Student Hazing. The research is based on the analysis of 11,482 survey responses from undergraduate students enrolled at 53 colleges and universities and more than 300 interviews with students and campus personnel at 18 of those institutions.
For this study, hazing was defined as “any activity expected of someone joining or participating in a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers them regardless of a person’s willingness to participate.” The following findings are discussed in the report:
• 55% of college students involved in clubs, teams, and organizations experience hazing.
• Hazing occurs in, but extends beyond, varsity athletics and Greek-letter organizations and includes behaviors that are abusive, dangerous, and potentially illegal.
• Alcohol consumption, humiliation, isolation, sleep- deprivation, and sex acts are hazing practices common across types of student group.
• There are public aspects to student hazing including: 25% of coaches or organization advisor were aware of the group’s hazing behaviors; 25% of the behaviors occurred on-campus in a public space; in 25% of hazing experiences, alumni were present; and students talk with peers (48%, 41%) or family (26%) about their hazing experiences.
In more than half of the hazing incidents, a member of the group posts pictures on a public web space. More students perceive positive rather than negative outcomes of hazing. In 95% of the cases where students identified their experience as hazing, they did not report the events to campus officials.
Students recognize hazing as part of the campus culture; 69% of students who belonged to a student activity reported they were aware of hazing activities occurring in student organizations other than their own. Students report limited exposure to hazing prevention efforts that extend beyond a “hazing is not tolerated” approach. 47% of students come to college having experienced hazing. Nine out of ten students who have experienced hazing behavior in college do not consider themselves to have been hazed.
For complete results, click here. gordie.org/pdf/hazing_in_view_web.aspx