Hazing remains a hidden crisis across college campuses, despite nationwide preventive laws and policies. Hazing is defined by Maine state law as any group activity that humiliates, degrades, abuses or endangers other students. University of Maine Professor Dr. Elizabeth Allen and Program and Training Specialist at StopHazing Jenny Desmond shed light on how education, awareness and the Stop Campus Hazing Act could help reduce the trend of hazing in higher education.
In the past 25 years, over 50 people died as a result of hazing on college campuses, as per NBC News. Hazing is prevalent among student organizations including fraternities, sororities and club sports, and has been a common occurrence at many universities since the 19th century. Anti-hazing movements have surged across the country in response, headed by organizations including Clery Center and StopHazing. In recent years, these organizations pursued initiatives in education, awareness and policy to curb the prevalence of hazing on a national scale.
Student Life at UMaine defines hazing 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.”
Hazing is explicitly prohibited by the UMaine student code of conduct and Maine State Law. However, these guidelines alone have not entirely abolished hazing, a gap organizations like StopHazing push to close.
The Stop Campus Hazing Act was introduced in September 2024 to further the fight against hazing across the country. The act was passed by the House and is set to be voted on by the Senate. The bill would require colleges to report incidents of hazing and to publish their hazing policies. This would provide data for the ongoing research that supports hazing prevention programs.
In September, Allen, who has a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, was announced to be heading a nationwide study of college student hazing. This study will be conducted under the college’s new “Hazing Prevention Research Lab” in collaboration with StopHazing.The study aims to better understand the avenues and impacts of hazing on college campuses.
A particular topic of interest in Allen’s research is the connection between hazing culture and white supremacy, which she explored in a recent study titled, “Unsettling tradition: exploring intersections of campus hazing and white supremacy.” The study highlights tradition within college campuses, uncovering themes of “alumni involvement and influence, pride, and space.” These are proposed to be the avenues in which “whiteness and white supremacy is reinscribed via campus hazing.”
Allen was asked how this type of research will support anti-hazing efforts.
“Hazing is an abuse of power that intersects with other abuses of power. We can’t just look at it in this simple way, you have to think about how it’s intersecting and overlapping with other forms of harm. So if we address hazing, we’re also helping to address other forms of harm, and if we ignore it then I think we’re not as impactful or effective as we could be in addressing other forms of harm,” said Allen.
The most challenging aspect in addressing hazing, according to Allen, is the lack of awareness.
“There’s just still so much lack of awareness, and I think that really hinders us. Obviously you can’t solve a problem unless you can name it,” Allen explained.
Allen shared that hazing is often justified or explained away as harmless tradition, which highlights the lack of awareness of what it is and the harm it can produce. Desmond also offered her thoughts.
“Unaddressed behaviors can become ingrained, creating a cycle of harm among members… Leaders in training may be learning that humiliating, harassing or violent behavior is an accepted or expected way to induct new members and build cohesion,” said Desmond.
The solution they propose, and practice in their anti-hazing programs nationwide, is proper education.
“Educating groups about how to form healthy teams and groups and focusing on the correct behaviors can be good strategies,” said Desmond.
“Everyone can make a difference. We need everyone to become informed. Learning more about this can help save a life. And not only that, it can help make experiences of belonging so much better, so much more positive and healthy,” said Allen. “Be an agent of change.”
