What are Initiation Rites and Hazing?
Across societies and time, people have initiated new members into groups, through ceremonies and rituals designed to foster a feeling of belonging. Yet sometimes those rites or activities cross the line into hazing - behavior that is humiliating, dangerous or even illegal. Because people's perceptions of hazing vary, it is difficult to delineate positive or acceptable initiation rites from questionable or unacceptable ones.
We defined hazing as "any activity expected of someone joining a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses or endangers, regardless of the person's willingness to participate. This does not include activities such as rookies carrying the balls, team parties with community games, or going out with your teammates, unless an atmosphere of humiliation, degradation, abuse or danger arises." (2) This definition was printed clearly at the beginning of our survey forms.
Under this definition, 45 percent of the respondents reported that they knew of, had heard of, or suspected hazing on their campuses. Only 12 percent reported being hazed for athletics. Eighty percent, however, reported being subjected to one or more typical hazing behaviors as part of their team initiations. So, while students would acknowledge a wide range of hazing-type behaviors, they most often were reluctant to label them "hazing." This reluctance is understandable, particularly considering that hazing is a crime in 41 states.
The following tables display the athletes' reports of initiation behaviors, divided into four mutually exclusive categories:
- acceptable behaviors (only positive activities).
- questionable behaviors (humiliating or degrading activities, but no dangerous or potentially illegal, activities).
- alcohol-related activities (drinking contests, exclusive of other dangerous or potentially illegal activities).
- unacceptable and potentially illegal behaviors (activities that carry a high probability of danger or injury, or could result in criminal charges).
The prevalence of hazing became far clearer when we looked at component behaviors. One hundred percent of athletes responding to the survey were involved in some form of initiation onto their athletic teams. Nearly all were expected to participate in acceptable behaviors. However, 80 percent were also subjected to other forms of initiation that are questionable, alcohol-related, and unacceptable.
Twenty percent reported being involved in ONLY acceptable initiation activities. Even though athletes must perform to specific standards (skill level, performance in a sport or maintaining a specific GPA) in order to qualify for a team, the prevalence of hazing behaviors suggests that such acceptable activities are not enough. Athletes seem to need activities specifically designed for initiation, and if those are not provided, they will create their own.
Acceptable Initiation Activities | Male 877 | (n) | Female 1142 | (n) | Total 2027 | (n) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Acceptable Initiation Activities Attending pre-season training |
Male 877 89% |
(n) 728 |
Female 1142 89% |
(n) 983 |
Total 2027 88% |
(n) 1716 |
Acceptable Initiation Activities Testing for skill, endurance, or performance in a sport |
Male 877 78% |
(n) 678 |
Female 1142 78% |
(n) 859 |
Total 2027 79% |
(n) 1540 |
Acceptable Initiation Activities Keeping a specific grade point average |
Male 877 72% |
(n) 612 |
Female 1142 78% |
(n) 861 |
Total 2027 75% |
(n) 1478 |
Acceptable Initiation Activities Dressing up for team functions (besides uniforms) |
Male 877 69% |
(n) 591 |
Female 1142 75% |
(n) 843 |
Total 2027 73% |
(n) 1438 |
Acceptable Initiation Activities Attending a skit night or team roast |
Male 877 54% |
(n) 457 |
Female 1142 57% |
(n) 632 |
Total 2027 55% |
(n) 1092 |
Acceptable Initiation Activities Doing volunteer community service |
Male 877 45% |
(n) 383 |
Female 1142 54% |
(n) 601 |
Total 2027 50% |
(n) 987 |
Acceptable Initiation Activities Taking an oath or signing a contract of standards |
Male 877 44% |
(n) 380 |
Female 1142 54% |
(n) 602 |
Total 2027 50% |
(n) 985 |
Acceptable Initiation Activities Completing a ropes course or team trip |
Male 877 29% |
(n) 252 |
Female 1142 43% |
(n) 475 |
Total 2027 37% |
(n) 729 |
Acceptable Initiation Activities Total of athletes involved in at least one acceptable activity |
Male 877 96% |
(n) 838 |
Female 1142 97% |
(n) 1102 |
Total 2027 96% |
(n) 1945 |
Female athletes were significantly more likely to be involved exclusively in acceptable initiation activities and male athletes were significantly more likely to be involved in hazing behaviors. Still, as the tables below show, hazing was nearly as common among women as men.
Questionable Initiation Activities | Male | (n) | Female | (n) | Total | (n) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Questionable Initiation Activities Being yelled, cursed, or sworn at |
Male 38% |
(n) 326 |
Female 25% |
(n) 286 |
Total 31% |
(n) 614 |
Questionable Initiation Activities Being forced to wear embarrassing clothing |
Male 22% |
(n) 194 |
Female 33% |
(n) 373 |
Total 29% |
(n) 571 |
Questionable Initiation Activities Tattooing, piercing, head shaving, or branding |
Male 32% |
(n) 278 |
Female 24% |
(n) 272 |
Total 28% |
(n) 552 |
Questionable Initiation Activities Participating in calisthenics not related to a sport |
Male 14% |
(n) 125 |
Female 11% |
(n) 127 |
Total 13% |
(n) 253 |
Questionable Initiation Activities Associating with specific people, not others |
Male 12% |
(n) 101 |
Female 11% |
(n) 124 |
Total 11% |
(n) 226 |
Questionable Initiation Activities Acting as personal servant to players off the field, court |
Male 10% |
(n) 85> |
Female 8% |
(n) 95 |
Total 9% |
(n) 181> |
Questionable Initiation Activities Being forced to deprive oneself of food, sleep, or hygiene |
Male 7% |
(n) 56 |
Female 8% |
(n) 85 |
Total 7% |
(n) 141 |
Questionable Initiation Activities Consuming extremely spicy/disgusting concoctions |
Male 8% |
(n) 69 |
Female 5% |
(n) 60 |
Total 6% |
(n) 129 |
Questionable Initiation Activities Total involved in at least one questionable activity |
Male 68% |
(n) 594 |
Female 63% |
(n) 719 |
Total 65% |
(n) 1318 |
The odds are high that a team that engages in questionable initiation activities will also engage in unacceptable activities. Although seemingly harmless,questionable activities are often a warning sign of more dangerous and destructive behavior. Over 80 percent of the athletes who were subjected to questionable initiation activities were also subjected to unacceptable activities. Dismissing questionable initiation activities as harmless is a common response, but by doing so, we may be ignoring more serious problems.
Questionable Activities | % |
---|---|
Questionable Activities Being yelled, cursed, or sworn at |
% 81% |
Questionable Activities Tattooing, piercing, head shaving, or branding |
% 81% |
Questionable Activities Being forced to wear embarrassing clothing |
% 85% |
Questionable Activities Participating in calisthenics not related to a sport |
% 98% |
Questionable Activities Associating with specific people, not others |
% 98% |
Questionable Activities Being forced to deprive oneself of food, sleep, or hygiene |
% 99% |
Questionable Activities Acting as personal servant to players off the field, court |
% 100% |
Questionable Activities Consuming extremely spicy/disgusting concoctions |
% 100% |
We know that many hazing deaths involve alcohol, either because students' judgment is impaired and they take risks they would not otherwise take, or because they overdose on alcohol. Respondents confirm that alcohol plays a major role in hazing to join athletic teams, with more than half of the athletes saying they were involved in alcohol-related initiation activities.
Alcohol-related Initiation Activities | Male | (n) | Female | (n) | Total | (n) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alcohol-related Initiation Activities Consuming alcohol on recruitment visits |
Male 42% |
(n) 364 |
Female 39% |
(n) 442 |
Total 42% |
(n) 809 |
Alcohol-related Initiation Activities Participating in a drinking contest |
Male 35% |
(n) 302 |
Female 34% |
(n) 387 |
Total 35% |
(n) 693 |
Alcohol-related Initiation Activities Total involved in any alcohol-related activity |
Male 52% |
(n) 456 |
Female 51% |
(n) 582 |
Total 51% |
(n) 1042 |
One out of every five athletes (27 percent of men, 16 percent of women) participated in one or more unacceptable initiation rites, those that carry a high probability of danger or injury, or could result in criminal charges.
Other Unacceptable Initiation Activities | Male | (n) | Female | (n) | Total | (n) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Other Unacceptable Initiation Activities Making prank calls or harassing others |
Male 12% |
(n) 105 |
Female 8% |
(n) 91 |
Total 10% |
(n) 197 |
Other Unacceptable Initiation Activities Destroying or stealing property |
Male 11% |
(n) 91 |
Female 5% |
(n) 59 |
Total 7% |
(n) 50 |
Other Unacceptable Initiation Activities Engaging in or simulating sexual acts |
Male 7% |
(n) 64 |
Female 5% |
(n) 52 |
Total 6% |
(n) 116 |
Other Unacceptable Initiation Activities Being tied up, taped, or confined in small spaces |
Male 8% |
(n) 65 |
Female 3% |
(n) 29 |
Total 5% |
(n) 94 |
Other Unacceptable Initiation Activities Being paddled, whipped, beaten, kicked; beating others |
Male 5% |
(n) 42 |
Female 1% |
(n) 13 |
Total 3% |
(n) 55 |
Other Unacceptable Initiation Activities Being kidnapped or transported and abandoned |
Male 4% |
(n) 33 |
Female 2% |
(n) 19 |
Total 3% |
(n) 52 |
Other Unacceptable Initiation Activities Total involved in any one unacceptable activity |
Male 27% |
(n) 234 |
Female 16% |
(n) 183 |
Total 21% |
(n) 418 |
For 17 percent of the respondents, however, initiation goes beyond a single infraction. These athletes - overwhelmingly men - found themselves deeply immersed in a culture of hazing. They participated in or were subjected to five or more hazing behaviors. Factor analysis reported six distinct clusters of related behaviors. Further study into this clustering phenomenon, in which subcultures of hazing behavior seem to emerge, may offer insights into detection and prevention strategies.
(2) Many of the 41 states with anti-hazing laws limit their definition of hazing, often eliminating humiliation as an element. Many of the laws are specifically targeted to fraternity hazing, and do not cover athletic or high school hazing. State laws also vary on whether or not consent of the person hazed is included in the definition of hazing. (Source: Hank Nuwer)
(3) It should be noted that many athletes participating in alcohol-related initiation activities are under the legal drinking age of 21. In such instances, alcohol-related initiation rites are illegal.