Hazing Prevention Task Force

The term "hazing" means any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a person, whether individually or in concert with other persons, against a student that: ​

• (I) was committed in connection with an initiation into, an affiliation with, or the maintenance of membership in, an organization (e.g., a club, society, association, athletic team, fraternity, sorority, or student government);​
• (II) either (a) causes or is likely to contribute to a substantial risk of physical injury, mental harm, or degradation, or (b) would be viewed by a reasonable person as an act, task, project, or responsibility given or held unequally by an individual or a subset of the organization or program based solely on the status of their membership; and​
• (III) cannot be demonstrated to further the goals of a legitimate educational curriculum, co-curricular program, or military training program.​

• Interfering with or limiting a student’s academic schedule. 
• Forced or coerced consumption of food, alcohol, substances, or concoctions.
• Deprivation of food.
• Forced or coerced wearing of specific apparel.
• Expecting new members/rookies/aspirants to perform personal service or menial tasks for other members such as running errands, cooking, sober driving, phone duty, etc.
• Expecting new members/rookies/aspirants to engage in undue financial expenditures such as paying for gas, food, clothes, etc.
• Forced or coerced social isolation, use or limitation of social media, or restriction of communication devices. 
• Forced or coerced limitations of travel locations and/or methods.
• Forced or coerced physical altercations with others.
• Placing one in fear of bodily harm.
• Forced or coerced line-ups, drills/tests, exercises in a manner that a reasonable person would consider excessive or dangerous.
• Unreasonable exposure to weather.
• Completing tasks to obtain signatures.
• Expecting certain items to always be in one’s possession.
• Forced or coerced sleep deprivation. 
• Deviation from a new member education program submitted to the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, such as “Hell Week” activities.
• Damage to or theft of property, or any other illegal act.
• Violation of any University policy. 

• Hazing occurs in sports teams, clubs, Greek life, cheerleading, honor societies and more.
• Hazing is often about power and control. Hazing does not build unity.
• More than half of students in colleges and universities involved in clubs, sports teams, and organizations have experienced hazing.
• A significant number of hazing incidents and deaths involve alcohol consumption.
• Students are more likely to be hazed if they knew an adult who was hazed.
• Two in five students say they are aware of hazing taking place on their campus.
• Both male and female students report a high level of hazing.

If you’re not sure whether something happening to you or someone else is hazing, ask yourself these questions:

• Would I feel comfortable participating in this activity if my parents were watching?
• Would we get in trouble if a school administrator walked by and saw us?
• Am I being asked to keep these activities a secret?
• Am I doing anything illegal?
• Does participation in this activity violate my values or those of this organization?
• Is this causing emotional or physical distress or stress to myself or to others?
• Am I going to be able to get a job if I have to put a criminal arrest on my application?