Hazing is any activity that intentionally humiliates, degrades, or potentially endangers participants seeking to join an organization or team. It is usually directed by senior members of a group at newcomers. Hazing practices are extremely varied. Some examples of hazing rituals include verbal, physical, or sexual abuse; forced consumption of food, drink, or drugs; forced isolation; abandonment in an unfamiliar location; forced exercise; and public humiliation. Hazing may result in physical or psychological harm to its victims. It may even result in death.
Hazing has often been compared with bullying . However, though the behaviors may be similar, the context in which they occur is very different. Bullying can happen to anyone at any time. Hazing, if it occurs, takes place as part of an initiation ritual when joining a group or organization or entering a new school. Bullying excludes someone from a group. The purpose of hazing is, ultimately, to include the newcomer.
Hazing rarely requires physical force for people to participate. Because of the desire to belong to a particular group, often a suggestion or request are enough to have people take part. Probationary members may feel the need to prove themselves, earn their way into the group, or gain respect through being able to endure the hazing. Because each individual is unique in his or her ability to withstand various physical and psychological trials, activities that are harmful to one person may not be so for another. For this reason, even practices that some people would consider mild hazing—or fun—can create a culture in which the activities become out of control.
Hazing can have a strong negative impact on an individual’s sense of self-worth. Experts believe that people who have experienced hazing are more likely to engage in hazing practices themselves. Previous violence, abuse, or neglect, or a history of depression or other mental illness , can magnify the effect of hazing on a victim. In many cases, hazing victims do not come to terms with the abuse they have suffered until years later.
Hazing that results in psychological damage is rarely reported to law enforcement officials. Victims may feel ashamed of their own perceived weaknesses, bury their feelings, and refuse to talk about the incident. Hazing can be difficult to address for a number of other reasons as well. Hazing rituals are often shrouded in secrecy. Some participants do not report hazing because of their desire to belong to the group or their fear of getting the group in trouble. Some victims of hazing fear that reporting an incident may lead to retribution by the group.
As more people have become aware of hazing and have begun to understand its implications, the problem has begun to be taken more seriously. Anti-hazing advocates have started to tackle the problem of hazing and develop prevention programs. They build on the work of alcohol and drug prevention programs, sexual assault prevention programs, and other violence prevention efforts. As a result, increasingly more effective, science-based hazing prevention solutions are being tested.
