Policies, Guidelines, and Reports

Hazing Prevention

Recognize. Respond. Report.

55% of students involved in organizations or teams experience hazing. Learn more at StopHazing.org.

What Is Hazing?

Hazing occurs when a person who is trying to join an organization, or is already a member of an organization, is coerced or forced to do any of the following:

Violate Federal or State Law
Consume any kind of substances
Engage in any kind of physical activity (calisthenics, beating, exposure to elements, etc.)
Mentally straining activity (sleep deprivation, exclusion from social activity, embarrassment, etc.)
Engage in sexual activity
Endure any activity that may cause mental, physical, or emotional harm

Warning Signs

A concerning mood change after joining a group
Decreased communication
Avoidance of non-group members
Secrecy about group activities
Mental or physical exhaustion
Unexplained bruises or signs of pain when moving or sitting
Decline in academic performance
Increased absences or tardiness
Changes in personal hygeine
Repetitive attire or uniformity with other new members of the organization
Sudden use of “embarrassing” supplies (e.g., children’s backpacks)

Fraternity and Sorority Life

Contacts

Natalie Farina
President
Collegiate Panhellenic Association

Darryl Ansah
President
National Pan-Hellenic Council

Christian Mandelos
President
Interfraternity Council

Hazing

Hazing at the University of Pittsburgh is considered a violation of the University’s Anti-Hazing Policy and Student Code of Conduct, and is absolutely prohibited. Hazing may also be considered a criminal act in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Learn more about Hazing

Most hazing is reported by friends and bystanders.

“A student who is worried that a friend is being hazed should talk with them directly about what they’ve observed of the friend’s physical or mental health, share counseling and reporting resources, and follow up if worries persist.”

Read More

A Black male student sitting on a stone bench in a white sweater and black shorts.

Social Norms

A Fraternity & Sorority Life Climate Survey found that 70% of respondents would report hazing right away.
Most people underestimate others’ discomfort with problem behaviors.
Men tend to underestimate how much other men respect someone for intervening.
People are more likely to intervene when they believe others’ are also willing to speak up.

Hazing Trends

Women are more likely to report hazing than men.
Subtle hazing is most common. Subtle hazing refers to activities or attitudes that breach reasonable standards of mutual respect and place new members in a position of ridicule, embarrassment, or humiliation. These actions are often accepted as harmless or meaningless, but they can still be harmful.
Harassment and violent hazing has been witnessed most frequently by men and LGBTQIA+ demographics.

There's no excuse for hazing.

Let's break down and debunk some of the most common excuses for hazing in student organizations.

There are positive traditions and initiation rituals in student organizations. None of them include hazing.
"Tradition" does not justify subjecting new members to abuse.
Traditions are created by groups, and groups hold the power to change or eliminate them. It only takes one year to break a hazing tradition.

Resilience refers to personal growth through struggle and challenge.
The key distinction between healthy and harmful challenges and/or adversity lies in the presence of support, the ability to recover, and the opportunity for constructive learning.
Healthy forms of challenge should cultivate self-awareness and resilience, empowering individuals to recognize their innate capacity for growth and change rather than instilling shame or helplessness.
Resilience does not require abuse, and commitment should not demand pain.

Bonds forged through shared trauma are not indicative of group unity. More often, hazing represents an organization’s attempt to build a dominant-submissive dynamic within the group in order to create an imbalanced power dynamic.

Despite hazing laws clarifying that consent does not equate to legality, many still justify hazing behaviors because of willingness to participate. However, even if someone agrees to participate in a potentially hazardous action, it may not be true consent because of peer pressure, explicit or implied threats, or other perceived consequences if they choose not to engage.

To what? The organization, or the people leading it?
Hazing behaviors often oppose the values upon which organizations are founded. Though hazing is typically framed as a “rite of passage” for new members of an organization, these practices likely originated to create a power dynamic within student groups. Most hazing activity tests a person’s commitment to a submissive role in the power dynamic rather than commitment to the organization’s values.

Subtle acts of hazing – like requiring new members to propose to a stranger on the quad, wear a silly backpack, or address older members as Sir or Miss – may seem harmless, and these kinds of activities are ones that new members often engage in happily because who doesn’t like to make their friends laugh?
However, it’s important to consider why these kinds of tasks are used in student organizations, specifically during the joining process. What is the goal that’s being accomplished?
Over time, these “harmless” jokes can lead to an erosion of trust, can damage a new member or the organization’s reputation, or even make it difficult for new members to take the organization seriously, which can reduce member engagement.

Those who make this argument have endured hazing and remained in the group. This is an example of survivorship bias.
It does not consider:
- those who dropped out of the group due to hazing
- those who suffered mental or physical harm
- those who chose not to join due to hazing perceptions
“We’re fine” doesn’t mean that it’s okay – it just means that only the people who endured it and stayed around are being heard.