What is Hazing?
Hazing happens when someone is pressured or expected to do something risky, embarrassing, or harmful to join or stay in a student organization. It doesn't matter if they say yes; if it causes harm, it's not okay.
Research shows hazing can lead to stress, isolation, and long-term impacts on mental health and academic success.
Hazing can look like:
- drinking or using substances to "prove" yourself
- physical challenges that cause pain or overexhaustion
- being isolated, sleep-deprived, or shamed
- doing something illegal or degrading
Support and Resources
Contact
If you receive a report, witness, or experience hazing, please report it immediately.
Contact App State Police
828-262-8000
Emergency: 911
Code of Student Conduct
Report an Incident
The Spectrum of Hazing Graphic
The Spectrum of Hazing™ is a research-based resource developed by StopHazing researchers, Dr. Elizabeth Allan & Dr. Dave Kerschner.
Learn more about the research and what it tells us.
The Spectrum of Hazing Outlined
This text-version of the Spectrum of Hazing outlines the trhee categories and the relationship between recognition and frequency of the behaviors.
Intimidation
Hazing that is hard to recognize but occurs frequently include acts of intimidation such as
- Deception
- Assignment of demerits
- Silence periods with implied threats for violation
- Social isolation of new members
- Use of demeaning names
- Expecting certain items to always be in one's possession
Harrasment
Typical acts of hazing include forms of harassment such as:
- Verbal abuse
- Threats or implied threats
- Asking new members to wear embarrassing attire
- Skit nights with degrading or humiliating acts
- Sleep deprivation
- Sexual simulations
Violence
Forms of hazing that occur less frequently, but are easy to recognize, include violence against others, such as:
- Forced alcohol or drug consumption
- Beating, paddling, or other forms of physical assault
- Branding
- Forced ingestion of vile substances
- Water intoxication
- Abduction/kidnapping
- Sexual Assault