Hazing: Predicting Behaviors and Preventive Measures
Editor’s Note: Portions of this article sourced information from the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association, Leadership Training Course LTC 508.
Hazing is defined as the imposition of strenuous, often humiliating, tasks as part of a program of rigorous physical training and initiation. Can it be hazing if there isn’t an imposition of strenuous activity?
We certainly are made aware of the terrible hazing cases where an individual or individuals are seriously injured or worse. But hazing can and will take many forms. Hazing can start very small but grow in intensity over time.
It is important for athletic directors to know the pulse of what is happening in their departments, and frontline coaches must be educated and in touch with what hazing is – and if it does happen, they need to know the steps to take. Schools must ensure that coaches know that the No. 1 step is to report it.
Hazing is still happening much too often, even though education is greater than ever before, and the cases have become so publicized. What are the predictive behaviors of those who haze or the programs that haze? Those behaviors can include name calling, wearing specific clothing, being forced to shoplift or steal, sleep deprivation, verbal abuse, physical threats, forced to binge drink or use drugs, branding or burning, eating disgusting things, and sexual acts.
Why does this happen in high school athletic programs? Among the possible reasons are: 1) program or coach has had a history of hazing; 2) behavior has been accepted for years with school indifference and a belief that it makes kids tough; 3) tradition of ongoing generations of athletes who believe it was done to them – they survived and thus they should be allowed to continue the tradition. If you are a new athletic administrator coming into a school, this can be a difficult issue to address as it can be ingrained in the community culture.
Why do members of a program go along with or “consent” to this hazing behavior? There are three reasons that we can look at to better understand why this still happens.
Conformity Impulse – Adolescents have especially strong need to be valued by peers. People who refuse to be initiated, even where the activity is clearly dangerous or degrading, often view themselves as abnormal.
Collective Effect – People tend to act more recklessly in groups or in the presence of others than when alone. Newcomers to groups crave acceptance from insiders. Adolescent socialization process makes it increasingly less likely that one person will intervene to help someone else in a crisis, especially where a group is targeting one person or a small subgroup. Fear and intimidation.
Imitation Effect – People tend to imitate high-status peers. Non-members may envy the status members possess to the extent where the urge to belong and fit in outweighs rationality.
When hazing does happen, there are common defenses asserted in programs.
Consent: Victims gave consent and were willing participants in the activity. This is very unlikely and not true as the dynamics of the hazing activity are such that a valid consent is not possible.
Horseplay: This is the “Boys will be Boys” argument. It was just fun and games.
Halo Effect: This is the belief that the student-athletes are among the best kids and thus the rationalization that this couldn’t have been that bad.
Shifting Blame: Victim ends up being blamed for both the hazing and the exposing of the hazing. Retaliation is present in almost every hazing case.
Spiral Deception: Nearly all hazing cases involve deceit. Hazers lie to outsiders, they lie to those being hazed, they lie to themselves, and outsiders lie to protect the hazers.
It has never been said that a school leader, whether in athletics or other activity programs, condones hazing. (While the focus of hazing issues primarily has been related to athletics, the same concepts can be applied to any extracurricular program.) Sadly, hazing incidents continue to occur throughout the United States within high school programs. No one can singlehandedly prevent hazing; however, there is a strong possibility that a leader can influence others to prevent hazing. Within the concept of having many engaged in preventing hazing, it is important to have individuals who are alert and aware of some of the methods and strategies that can assist a program in preventative steps. Some of the key areas to assess and understand are the facilities, campus and staff. In addition, a leader needs to understand the community. Finally, a leader must have a transparent and efficient method of communication for both concerns and incidents.
The primary first step in preventing hazing is to have a mastery of the facilities that are used by athletic programs. Locker rooms represent a difficult space for coaches and athletic administrators. This space is where athletes will change and prepare for practices and contests and, when well-managed, an outstanding space for team camaraderie and bonding. Locker rooms should be used only when there is approved adult supervision that adjusts their movement to best cover the entire locker room.
As a leader, understand how students enter and leave the locker room and how many entrances and exits exist. Make a determination of areas that cannot be seen when in the locker room. For example, are there hidden corners, tall lockers, locker arrangements that create aisles? These examples limit the sight lines for supervision and require that the person supervising move throughout the locker room. If there is a coach’s office within the locker room, does that office offer sight into the locker room or is it secluded? In short, students with ill-intent will learn the patterns of the supervisors, and having an altered movement cycle assists in keeping the students properly supervised.
Another important process in preventing hazing is to have a strong understanding of the on-campus and off-campus areas used by the athletic department. The athletic administrator must know if the facilities are available after practices or contests have concluded. Is the facility secluded from view or is it open and accessible? Within the parameters of outdoor facilities, having a direct understanding of how students gain access can generate the process as well as rules in place for student-athletes being at these on-campus or off-campus outdoor locations. Keep in mind that the facilities used by the school district are under school district insurance, rules and policies whenever the school is using them.
Traditions are a part of athletics. Touching a sign before leaving a locker room, wearing a team practice t-shirt, slogans, special monuments, walking into or out of games, etc. are traditions that can be a hallmark of a program. There is a Grand Canyon gap between a tradition and hazing. However, depending on the community, the staff and the athletic director, this line can get blurry, and individuals could attempt to explain away events and instances of hazing by claiming that it is a tradition. Thus, it is imperative that a leader understands the community and the leaders within that community in order to properly communicate the difference between hazing and traditions.
Transparent and effective communication is an integral part in the prevention and awareness of hazing. Large-scale communications such as all-sport parent meetings, newsletters and social media are ways that a leader can present expectations, rules and guidelines for athletic program expectations. These do not offer a strong amount of response or feedback from the individuals receiving the information; therefore, a medium-scale meeting may also be effective.
Medium-scale communication can be pre-season meetings with teams and parents led by the athletic department leader and coach. This style provides for some specific feedback and guidance for the team while ensuring that the program receives the same message. Finally, a small-scale method of communication, meeting with specific athletes and/or community leaders and/or parents, would be necessary if there is a concern about a tradition or new activity becoming a potential for hazing. Having a plan for communication as well as expectations within the vision of the athletic program are helpful steps in the prevention of hazing.
In closing, a hazing incident is an immediate media event, in all the worst possible ways, for an athletic program. As an athletic leader, you may not have control of the narrative and certainly any action taken regarding the media will have to follow district guidelines and protocols. When responding, remember that this event involves the program, athletes, coaches and community. Own that the situation happened, express what you are permitted to express (after checking with the appropriate individuals), and ensure that your care and focus is on the harmed party. No one wakes up hoping that their day will bring a hazing incident to their program. However, taking some steps can assist in preventing hazing.
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