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According to USLegal, hazing is defined as “an abusive, often humiliating form of initiation into or in affiliation with a group.” These incidents date back to the 1600s, and include recklessly or intentionally endangering the mental or physical health of another.
For this reason, many steps have been taken to abolish the use of hazing over the years, including making it illegal in 44 states. One particular way in which hazing is tracked and monitored at universities is through the use of an annual hazing report. Millersville University’s (MU) hazing report was completed on January 8, 2019, and recorded no hazing incidents at MU in the past five years.
“It’s important to note hazing can happen in any organization or group, and is not limited to just one demographic or population,” said Director of the Center for Student Involvement & Leadership (CSIL), John Hearn. “With that in mind, CSIL implemented a new hazing prevention training for all of our registered student organizations in fall 2018, including each of our fraternities and sororities. Additionally, we invited anti-hazing speaker and activist, Michelle Guobadia, to serve as the keynote speaker at the Fraternity and Sorority Life Leadership Conference in October.”
These efforts were made to better educate students on the negative impact of hazing in regards to both individuals and organizations as a whole. By engaging in continuous dialogue on the issue, students are prepared to proactively identify the signs, implications and short and long-term consequences of hazing.
“I’m proud of the efforts my colleagues and our students have made in ensuring Millersville is an institution that aggressively addresses a topic that can make many uncomfortable. We cannot defeat something we refuse to acknowledge. Millersville University recognizes there’s too much risk involved for our community (emotional, physical, mental, academic, legal, etc.) to allow our institution to passively approach the anti-hazing movement,” said Hearn.
