CARMEL, INDIANA – What is hazing? If someone asked you to define it right now, could you give a clear answer? And if asked whether you’ve ever been hazed, would you feel confident in your response? At first, those may seem like easy questions, but the truth is hazing can be more complex than it appears.

When most people hear the word “hazing,” they picture things like forced drinking or making new members clean the chapter house. Those are obvious examples. But hazing isn’t always extreme. Sometimes it’s something as simple as requiring new members to dress a certain way during the education process. Is that request physically harmful? Probably not. Yet it still creates a power imbalance, and we often hear justifications like: “We want them to feel proud of the organization,” or “Everyone else does it, so we’re just keeping with tradition.” The problem is that even small actions can set the stage for bigger, riskier behaviors in the future.

Consider this scenario: your chapter asks new members to spend a Saturday at the house to bond, watch football, and hang out. Nothing harmful there—just a fun day together. But maybe the next year, the leader decides to expand it into a whole weekend. The year after, someone adds “bring your own beer.” By year four, it’s a full week with activities that—if written down—probably wouldn’t reflect well on the chapter. What started as harmless fun has snowballed into something more dangerous and a situation in which new members feel obligated to participate, has been created.

This isn’t to say chapters shouldn’t create meaningful traditions or shared experiences. Brotherhood is built on them. But with that comes a duty of care for one another. If we allow ourselves to justify every “small thing,” it becomes harder to draw the line when the stakes get higher. True leadership in a fraternity means protecting that line—and protecting your brothers.

Recognizing the signs of hazing is essential for creating an environment where all members take responsibility for preventing it within their chapter. Know the signs. Use your voice. Be the leader. Prevent hazing.

What are some examples of subtle hazing? Harassing hazing? Violent hazing?

• Subtle hazing: requiring only new members to complete certain acts or participate in certain events, acts of personal servitude, name calling such as calling new members “babies”, expecting certain items to be in one’s possession at all times
• Harassing hazing: verbal abuse, humiliating acts, sleep deprivation
• Violent hazing: forced or coerced alcohol or other drug consumption, assault, expectations of illegal activity

Sigma Tau Gamma’s policy on hazing states as follows:

“No chapter, associate chapter, collegiate member or alumni member may conduct or condone hazing. Permission or approval by a person being hazed is not a defense. Hazing activities are defined as: “Any action taken, or situation created, intentionally, whether on or off fraternity premises, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule. Such activities may include but are not limited to the following: use of alcohol; paddling in any form; creation of excessive fatigue; physical and psychological shocks; quests, treasure hunts, scavenger hunts, road trips or any other such activities carried on outside or inside of the confines of the chapter house; wearing of public apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste; engaging in public stunts and buffoonery; morally degrading or humiliating games and activities; and any other activities which are not consistent with academic achievement, fraternal law, ritual or policy or the regulations and policies of the educational institution or applicable state law.“

In conjunction with HazingPrevention.org, Sigma Tau Gamma recognizes National Hazing Prevention Week (NHPW), which takes place this week. #NHPW provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations, campuses, and communities across North America to raise awareness about hazing and to promote hazing prevention.

Hazing has no place in Sigma Tau Gamma or in the fraternal world. Our brotherhood is built around our six Principles, and striving to be noble gentlemen in each aspect of everyday life.

Every brother is responsible to educate in a constructive and harmless way. Each brother must understand and take seriously their responsibility to ensure hazing does not occur. Sig Tau wants to help lead the charge to eradicate hazing within all Greek-letter organizations. We promise that any brother who is found responsible for hazing will be held accountable for his actions.

Sigma Tau Gamma invites you to take a stand and make a pledge to prevent hazing.

The Hazing Prevention Pledge
I pledge to prevent hazing before it occurs, stop hazing when I see it happening, report it when I know it has transpired, and help empower others to do the same in their organizations, schools, and communities.

I join others to:
Recognize the harm that hazing can cause both physically and psychologically
Condemn the act of hazing on all levels
Admonish those who haze and those who enable hazing through their silence, and;
Be an advocate for the prevention of hazing

You can take the pledge by clicking here. Though National Hazing Prevention Week is this week, Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity’s commitment against hazing remains in place every day.

Other Hazing-Prevention Resources:
888-NOT-HAZE
HazingPrevention.org

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ABOUT SIGMA TAU GAMMA FRATERNITY

Founded at the University of Central Missouri on June 28, 1920. Since its Founding, the organization has called 197 campuses home and has more than 77,000 initiated Members. The Headquarters, which is home to the Fraternity, Foundation and WPN National Housing Company, is located in Carmel, Indiana. Visit http://sigtau.org for additional information.