Hazy View
It’s been a scholarly topic since 400 BC, with commentary from Martin Luther, Mark Twain, and Vince Lombardi. No, not the nature of good v/s evil or the appropriate use of seersucker. It’s hazing.
A report published in March 2008 by the National Center for Hazing Research and Prevention concluded that 55 percent of students involved in clubs, teams, and organizations experience hazing, many of them (47 percent) experience hazing before coming to college, 9 out of 10 are unable to identify activities as hazing that clearly are, 95 percent of all hazing experiences go unreported, and generally students perceive positive rather than negative outcomes associated with hazing.
These stats certainly imply student affairs professionals have their work cut-out for them in eradicating hazing. Given the odds above, there is a good chance that many of your residents are on the receiving or giving end of hazing activities and some may even be related to your hall councils, internal honorary organizations, or even taking place as part of your training programs (behind closed doors gone-bad anyone?).
September 22-26, 2008 is National Hazing Prevention Week and a perfect opportunity to bring these harmful issues to light. Be sure to review the recommendations from the research report on effective elements of a hazing prevention and education strategy and take a moment to reach out to other campus departments to start or be included in a comprehensive dialogue.
For a glimpse into the minds of the pro-hazer, check out the “fan” submissions to stophazing.org for insight that makes you uncomfortable.
Full disclosure: the author of this post has consulted on high-risk college drinking for the parent company of www.hazingprevention.org before it became an independent non-profit. He has also ignorantly participated in and been a victim of hazing as an undergraduate.