A Dialogue Guide for Preventing Hazing in Greek-Letter Organizations

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March 5, 2021

Resource: Blog Industry: Higher Education
Tags: Prevention, Safety

How Does Your Organization Use National Hazing Data and Insights to Prevent Hazing?

Data suggests that most fraternity and sorority members are uncomfortable with hazing and do not support it, yet hazing continues to persist at elevated levels within the community. So how do we prevent fraternity and sorority hazing? National Hazing Prevention Week (NHPW) creates an opportunity to provide your members with materials that can support meaningful conversations about the common misperceptions around hazing, the detrimental impact of said misperceptions, and how the positive attitudes and behaviors of most members can be leveraged to prevent hazing in greek letter organization and create change.

    1. Understand Data & Social Norms
    2. Empower Every Chapter
    3. Reclaim the Narrative
    4. Celebrate Achievements
    5. Shine Light on Organizational Values

Understand Data & Social Norms with CommunityEdu

Hazing feeds on the need for individuals to belong to a group, and their fear of being rejected by it. Many of the reasons why people join an organization are, in fact, the same ones that make them vulnerable to not addressing problems within it. The small minority of members who support hazing may incorrectly be perceived as a majority if the hazing behavior is highly visible, which can create peer pressure to go along with it. At the same time, the unspoken healthy beliefs held by the majority remain invisible. Thus, the “desire to belong” which motivates many to join Greek organizations ironically may result in individuals going along with negative behavior of a minority that is thought to be a majority.

Research has demonstrated that misperceptions surrounding high-risk behaviors, such as hazing, are overestimated, whereas healthy behaviors, such as willingness to intervene, are underestimated. Social norms interventions challenge and correct these misperceptions by sharing the actual norms of the group.

CommunityEdu collects valuable survey data that can reinforce a hazing-free culture, such as your member’s self-reported answers to prompts like:

  • "I would support a “no hazing” policy for my organization."
  • "Hazing creates division and tension between people in an organization."

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Providing members with chapter-specific insights can be a powerful way to begin a conversation about preventing hazing. Members may be surprised to learn how many of their brothers and sisters hold similar healthy attitudes and behaviors. Through shedding light on the issue of hazing, we can grow closer to having the majority’s beliefs become the standard for group behavior.

Along with sharing chapter-specific data, findings from the national CommunityEdu dataset may also be indicative of how your members feel and react to hazing. Here are some hazing prevention facts:

  • 87% of members do not believe that hazing is an essential part of their organization.
  • National statistics show that 67.6% of fraternity men and 84.4% of sorority women support a no-hazing policy

 

Empower Every Chapter to Prevent Hazing

Perceptions of hazing can vary from chapter to chapter and even person to person. For this reason, chapter leadership or student advisors should lead small discussions with their members based on their specific data. For example, they might compare their members’ responses to questions like “Other members of my organization would support a ‘no hazing’ policy” and “Other members of my organization believe hazing creates a sense of unity” to the fact that nationally, 87% of members do not believe that hazing is an essential part of their organization.

 

Reclaim the Narrative

Fraternity and sorority members often perceive that others outside of their organization judge them unfairly. By not addressing hazing, your members risk reinforcing negative images of the Greek community. Members of your organization are leaders - encourage them to lead the charge on preventing hazing!

 

Celebrate Achievements

It’s overwhelmingly clear that the majority of fraternity and sorority members maintain healthy attitudes and beliefs when it comes to hazing. Recognize and acknowledge the positive behaviors already present in your organization.

 

Shine Light on Organizational Values

  • Highlight your organization’s founding principles and philanthropic goals.
  • Remind members that their bond should encourage them to grow into the best versions of themselves with and through one another.
  • Appeal to each chapter’s desire to leave their organization better than they found it.

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