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Is hazing a cultural phenomenon?
Two University of Maine researchers are intent on answering this question by examining the extent to which hazing occurs and the forms it takes across a range of student organizations in post-secondary institutions.
Elizabeth Allen, assistant professor of higher education and leadership and Mary Madden, assistant research professor presented the results of a pilot study they conducted last spring to a group of UMaine students and faculty. The results are phase one of what will be a national study on student hazing.
While many people think of hazing as directly linked to Greek life, encouraged by movies like “Animal House” and “Old School,” the reality is that hazing is an issue that occurs in a diverse range of student organizations.
The researchers found hazing in the ROTC, teams, club sports and other student organizations including band and performing arts clubs in addition to Greek letter organizations.
“I think the results of the study will be pro-Greek as in it recognizes that hazing happens in a lot of organizations,” said Gus Burkett, assistant director of campus activities for student organizations and Greek life. “Overall I think UMaine is a safe campus and we haven’t had any [observable] hazing.”
Allan and Madden developed a Web-based, 70-item survey that included incentives providing a 90 percent completion rate by the participants.
The data is based on the surveys of 1,789 full-time students across four post-secondary institutions within the northeastern United States.
Of the students surveyed, 24 percent were part of recreation or club sports teams, 14 percent were involved in academic groups, 15 percent were in honors and 22 percent said they didn’t participate in any group.
Forms of hazing that were reported were drinking games, humiliation, being yelled, screamed or cursed at, forced to get sick or pass out, and deprived of sleep.
In more extreme cases tattoos and piercings, sexual acts and “paddling” were part of initiation.
For the purposes of 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.
A brief discussion followed the presentation, and an audience member brought up the question of whether reality shows like “Fear Factor” feed a culture of hazing with their practices of forcing individuals to eat cockroaches or lay in a pit of snakes.
Alumni of these student organizations are also targeted as players in the issue, often encouraging the practices in the guise of tradition.
Another audience member pointed out that the United States Army is an institution where hazing is regularly used and accepted as a means of breaking down individuality to build a unit; in a way the government is showing support for the practice and part of the increasing insensitivity to some of the activities.
“A lot of adults said there wasn’t any harm in the hazing, that it was just good character building,” said Madden.
Many audience members found the data obtained on advisor and-or coach involvement most surprising.
Of those surveyed, 38 percent of advisors and or coaches said they were not involved in hazing in any way; 22 percent said they were involved and 40 percent said they were aware but tried not to know too much.
Across the board there is a lack of student awareness about hazing policies.
If an organization does have a policy, students often admit having never been shown it, or never taken the time to review it, said Allan.
Even if they are aware of the policies against hazing, or just feel that the acts are wrong or unsafe many students don’t report the incidents for fear of retribution.
“There’s so much secrecy and silence about this topic. It’s very humiliating [to the victims] so you don’t hear much about it until there is a tragedy,” said Allan.
There is a lack of understanding of what hazing is and people need to realize that it is more than being dropped off in the middle of the field naked, in below-freezing weather and made to find your way home.
“It’s all about proving yourself,” Madden agreed with an audience member.
“It is felt that the best way to organize a group is with a common experience,” said Robert Dana, dean of students.
“For some reason in this country, they think it should be a negative experience. Hazing is a slippery-slope and at UMaine it is not tolerated.”
Showing broad based national support, 22 national organizations have signed onto the $30,000 pilot study including the NCAA, Pi Beta Phi and NACDA.
The pilot study is a small portion of what will end up being an estimated net $250,000 investment for the two-to-three more years of the project’s duration.
