Discussion Questions
Questions you might ask a group to consider to help your organization decide what behavior requirements and expectations should apply to prevent hazing and protect participant well-being, particularly in team-based or hierarchical settings:
- How do we define hazing in our organization? Does it include “harmless” pranks, initiation rituals, or peer pressure to participate?
- Do any of our programs have team-based or cohort models (e.g., sports, overnight camps, performance groups) where hazing might emerge?
- Should all initiation or bonding rituals be prohibited? Are there forms of team-building that we support?
- What power dynamics (e.g., age, experience, popularity) increase the risk of hazing in our programs?
- Are staff required to intervene when they observe or suspect hazing, even if participants seem to be consenting?
- How do we ensure participants aren’t pressured into silence out of fear of exclusion or retaliation?
- What kinds of traditions or rituals have developed over time in our organization? Are we sure none of them cross into hazing?
- How do we distinguish between group bonding and humiliation, coercion, or risk?
- How do we communicate to staff, participants, and families that hazing is not just unsafe—but incompatible with our values?
- What should happen after a hazing concern is reported—even if no one was “seriously hurt”?
Behavior Requirements & Expectations
Options to potentially help your organization describe a firm, values-aligned stance that eliminates hazing and builds a healthy group culture:
- Hazing is strictly prohibited in all forms—regardless of intent, tradition, or participant consent. This includes physical stunts, pranks, forced tasks, peer pressure, or exclusionary challenges.
- We recognize that some participants may view hazing as bonding or fun. But any activity that humiliates, intimidates, endangers, or coerces someone is never acceptable here.
- Staff must intervene immediately when hazing is observed or suspected—even if the participants appear to be “going along with it.” Consent under pressure is not real consent.
- We believe in welcoming new participants through encouragement and inclusion, not hierarchy or humiliation. Healthy traditions build community without creating winners and losers.
- No activity may be presented as required, expected, or “part of the culture” unless it has been approved and designed by program leadership. Informal traditions are where risk takes root.
- We understand that hazing often happens out of sight or under the guise of secrecy. Staff must create a culture of openness, check in regularly with participants, and make it clear that silence is not safety.
- Retaliation against anyone who reports hazing—directly or indirectly—is strictly prohibited. Protecting participants means protecting their right to speak up without consequence.
- Participants who have engaged in hazing will be held accountable through a process that includes education, restitution, and, if necessary, removal. The goal is to correct behavior while maintaining safety and dignity.
- All new staff, volunteers, and participants must be informed that hazing of any kind is a violation of trust—not just a policy issue. It contradicts our mission and threatens our credibility.
- When in doubt, ask: Would I be proud to explain this tradition to a parent, supervisor, or community leader? If the answer is no, it doesn’t belong in your program.