Preventing and Recognizing Hazing Among High School Student Athletes.

By

Kevin Canty

CUR 0526

  Research For Practioners

Nova Southeastern University

February 17, 2014

Discretionary Statement Forming a sense of identity and belonging is a major

developmental task for teen-agers. Children of high school age, however, are just learning to distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate behavior. They need healthy adult supervision, role modeling, and guidance, without which initiation may easily go awry. When groups employ humiliation and danger to initiate new members into their groups, it becomes hazing. Studies show that 91 percent of high school students belong to at least one social group. 48 percent of students who belong to groups reported being subjected to hazing activities. 43 percent reported being subjected to humiliating activities. 30 percent reported performing potentially illegal acts as part of their initiation.

Settings and Participants Hampden Academy was founded in 1803 as a private school and

before that was a theological seminary. Total Enrollment 746 

◦ 9th Grade 177 Students 100 Athletes  57%

◦ 10th Grade 195 Students  136 Athletes 70%

◦ 11th Grade 180 Students  162 Athletes 90%

◦ 12th Grade 194 Students 153 Athletes 79% Ethnicity/Race

◦ Total Minority Enrollment 4% 

◦ American Indian/Alaskan Native Enrollment 0% 

◦ Asian Enrollment 0% 

◦ Black Enrollment 0%

◦  Hawaiian Native/Pacific Islander 0% 

◦ Hispanic Enrollment 1%

◦  White Enrollment 96% 

◦ Two or More Races Enrollment 3%

Settings and Participants cont… Gender

◦ Male (% of total)55% 

◦ Female (% of total)45% 

Economically Disadvantaged Students

◦ These are the percentages of the school's students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, based on data reported to the government.

◦ Free Lunch Program (% of total)17% 

◦ Reduced-Price Lunch Program (% of total)4% 

◦ Total Economically Disadvantaged (% of total)21%

Literature Review 48 percent of students who belong to athletic teams reported being

subjected to hazing activities. 43 percent reported being subjected to humiliating activities. 30 percent reported performing potentially illegal acts as part of their

initiation. Both female and male students report high levels of hazing, although male

students are at highest risk, especially for dangerous hazing. The lower a student’s grade point average the greater their risk of being

hazed. Almost every type of high school group had significantly high levels of

hazing. 71 percent of the students subjected to hazing reported negative

consequences, such as getting into fights, being injured, fighting with parents, doing poorly in school, hurting other people, having difficulty eating, sleeping, or concentrating, or feeling angry, confused, embarrassed or guilty

Students were most likely to be hazed if they knew an adult who was hazed. 36 percent of the students said that they would not report hazing primarily

because “There’s no one to tell,” or “Adults won’t handle it right.

Literature Review cont… According to Stewart et al. (2010), hazing can be reflected in many behaviors. Those

behaviors vary from positive actions like requiring new athletes to attend meetings or special study halls to dangerous, often life-threatening actions such as branding or consuming large quantities of alcohol in binging rituals

Waldron and Kowalski (2009) found that many athletes believed their teams engaged in benign rituals, but not hazing. Researches shown hazing only occurred when a line was crossed resulting in dangerous and damaging behaviors. Therefore, Waldron and Kowalski (2009) examined athletes' perceptions of (a) how and when rituals turned into hazing and (b) the responses of hazers and hazees to crossing the line.

Waldron and Cedar (2011) research showed athletes struggled in when rituals crossed the line to hazing. Additionally, the study provides further evidence that the environment of sport and the need for social-approval both contribute to hazing practices. Studies have also showed how coaches perceived hazing. “Coaches agreed that most athletes participated in hazing to gain acceptance from their teammates. When confronted with hazing, coaches believed athletes should question or challenge hazing practices” (Kowalski, C., Waldron, J. 2010 p. 89).

Groves et al. (2012), states most students believe that adults needed to intervene to stop it. Students rated strong, disciplinary measures for known hazing incidents (61%) and police investigation and prosecution of hazing cases (50%) as the best prevention strategies. In addition, students felt that positive bonding (43%), educational activities (37%), and challenging activities (30%) would help to prevent hazing.

Research MethodThe survey was developed for high

school students that participated in athletics at their school. Its designed to be given to them at the end of their season as an overall experience survey.

The survey covered the following areas:

Background Definition and Experience with Hazing Initiation Activities Open-ended Questions

Goal #1: Increase extent to which hazing is

considered a priority health and safety issue.Increase public recognition that

hazing threatens the physical, emotional, and psychological health and safety of individuals.

Increase understanding that hazing is preventable.

Increase public knowledge of anti-hazing laws and related penalties.

Increase access to information about hazing and its prevention.

Goal #2: Advance research about hazing and its prevention.Increase available funding for research

about hazing.Increase the number of funded research

proposals.Increase and centralize data collection

of documented hazing behaviors.Increase and centralize data collection

related to current prevention efforts.Increase the number of studies that

contribute to knowledge about hazing and its prevention.

Goal #3: Increase available evidence about effective hazing prevention.

Increase collaboration between administrators, athletes, and professional organizations to further the development and evaluation of prevention strategies targeted toward postsecondary schools.

Increase collaboration between schools, researchers, and professional organizations to develop evidence-based prevention strategies targeted toward primary and secondary educational settings.

Develop a menu of evidence-based prevention strategies that can be employed as part of a comprehensive approach and tailored to specific contexts in education settings.

Develop a menu of intervention strategies that can be employed as part of a comprehensive approach and tailored to specific contexts in education settings.

Goal #4: Build campus, school, and community capacity to develop hazing free environments.

  Increase student leadership development for hazing

prevention, including understanding of hazing dynamics, ethical decision-making, group dynamics, bystander intervention, and other prevention approaches.

Increase professional development for hazing prevention in primary, secondary, and postsecondary settings, including knowledge of effective prevention principles and planning processes.

Increase the coverage of hazing and its prevention in relevant curricula for those preparing to work in education settings.

Increase interdisciplinary collaborations to further develop knowledge related to capacity build

References Groves, M., Griggs, G., & Leflay, K. (2012). Hazing and initiation

ceremonies in university sport: setting the scene for further research in the United Kingdom. Sport in Society, 15(1), 117- 131.

Stewart, C., and Krzysztof T. (2010). Defining high school hazing: control through clarity. Physical Educator 67.4 .General

OneFile. Web. 25 Jan. 2014. Waldron, J. J., & Cedar Falls, I. A. (2011, March). Athletes'

Perceptions of How Rituals Turn to Hazing. In RESEARCH QUARTERLY FOR EXERCISE AND SPORT (Vol. 82, No. 1,pp. A67-A67). 1900 ASSOCIATION DRIVE, RESTON, VA 22091 USA: AMER ALLIANCE HEALTH PHYS EDUC REC & DANCE.

Waldron, Jennifer J. "Regardless of Student Perceptions, Hazing Is Dangerous and Harmful." Student Life. Detroit:

Greenhaven Press, 2010. Waldron, J. J. (2012). A Social Norms Approach to Hazing

Prevention Workshops. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 3(1), 12-20.