School Leaders Must Remain Vigilant Against Hazing

It’s the end of the regular season, and the boys soccer team has come in second place in the league but qualifies as an at-large participant for the post-season playoffs. Several teammates are talking in the locker room about doing something to show they have a strong bond of togetherness, but the conversation takes a more concerning edge; they want to go to one of their freshman teammates’ house and “welcome” him to the playoffs. At this point, what they decide to do can be left to imagination, but school leaders need to be aware of these types of situations or they may find themselves liable for allowing hazing to start, exist or perpetuate.

Unfortunately, hazing has the potential to reveal itself in nearly any scenario and when it occurs, it is dangerous. School leaders hold the responsibility to not only create successful, supportive environments, but identify and eliminate behaviors that can lead to toxic hazing situations.

Hazing, by definition, is the act of identifying new members of a group, willingly or not, and putting them in positions that can endanger or harm them for the purpose of gaining acceptance to a larger group.

The obligation to eliminate hazing means school leaders must address the conditions that allow it to exist and be proactive in empowering others to identify, report and address it. When school leaders promote understanding, maintain appropriate supervision, and create systems that allow for any team member to report unsafe situations, they are more likely to create successful and safe environments where everyone feels welcome. Promote Understanding To stop hazing before it occurs, school leaders need to explicitly create statements that ban any hazing behaviors. Rules such as “Hazing, in any form, will not be tolerated” are important to promote, but they can’t simply be words on paper. Hazing rules need to be amplified by school administration at meetings involving coaches, club advisers, parents and students. When entire communities hear consistent messaging that hazing is dangerous, the chances of it becoming an issue diminish greatly.

Hazing has the potential to occur at any time, and school leaders need to regularly review and frequently share appropriate school rules and norms. Explicitly stating rules that promote positive communication such as, “Respect your opponents, your teammates and yourself,” or “Don’t engage in behavior that has the potential to endanger or embarrass your opponents, your teammates, your family or yourself,” can foster a safer atmosphere for all students and be a great first step to prevent hazing.

Some students and school partners may not have the same understanding of what is considered harmful, and care should be taken to eliminate misunderstandings. Running through various, fictional scenarios can be helpful in promoting understanding as some students may need additional support to identify what is and is not acceptable.

School leaders should share and review appropriate examples so that participants gain a better understanding of expectations and how to identify inappropriate behaviors. Resources with such information can be created at the local school site level or a broader platform such as the NFHS Learning Center (www.NFHSLearn.com) course, “Bullying, Hazing, and Inappropriate Behaviors” can be used to better strengthen student understanding.

Maintain Appropriate Supervision
School leaders have the obligation to supervise students whenever they are on campus or participating in a school-sponsored activity. Hazing situations usually occur in locations with inadequate levels of supervision. In many cases, this area is the school locker room.

New coaches may not fully understand their supervision expectations, and school leaders need to communicate the need for coaches and advisers to not only supervise during practices and game times, but also before and after these events. Some coaches and advisers may be initially frustrated by such responsibility; however, when leaders take the time to explain the liability they are exposed to when students are not supervised, it creates a deeper understanding of what is necessary to lead a successful program.

To help school personnel learn appropriate expectations, school leaders can help by setting time parameters. For example, schools may want to establish a 15-minute window before and after practice when students are allowed in a locker room or other preparation areas. In addition, doors to locker rooms should only be opened by the coach or adviser, better ensuring their presence in supervision duties. This helps coaches understand what they are responsible for so that they can plan accordingly.

Create Transparent Accountability Reporting Systems
Some cases of hazing involving serious injury or harm will be immediately noticeable and reported by students themselves or those around them. However, when hazing is about to start or has already occurred and is not visibly noticeable, victims report feeling a tremendous amount of peer pressure to stay quiet. To address this, school leaders must create safe, effective reporting systems where questionable activities can be reported.

Reporting systems can be as simple as sharing an email address, QR code or link where a student can email, text or schedule an appointment to meet with a school leader. Schools can emphasize such communication by posting fliers in various locations promoting positive behaviors and encouraging reporting in a “see something, say something” fashion. When materials are posted in enough places, students become saturated with safe expectations, and it can encourage them to be an accountable partner in creating a safe environment. It is important to select a reporting mechanism that empowers students so that they can quickly, easily report their concerns so they can be addressed.

Regularly Review Student Data
Another important facet to identifying and stopping hazing is to regularly gather data from students. School leaders may choose to schedule group meetings with a variety of students to learn how a particular school program impacts them. Such meetings are also a great place for leaders to listen and watch for warning signs of hazing.

For example, leaders could ask questions or send out periodic surveys to students to determine if they a) ever felt they were in a dangerous situation while on campus, or 2) felt they were unsafe due to lack of supervision. Such questions are quick and easy to answer for students and give valuable information to school leaders in case additional follow up is necessary.

Final Thoughts
Hazing is an ever-present danger in all educational settings and school leaders need to be aware and consistently share their expectations regarding creating and maintaining successful school environments. When schools take the time to define hazing and explain school expectations, maintain appropriate supervision when students are on campus, and create avenues where students can report anything out of the ordinary, they are more likely to create successful environments where students can be safe from hazing behaviors.