Hazing Prevention at UW-Madison
UW-Madison is committed to creating a campus environment free from all forms of intimidation, bullying, harassment, and violence so that our students can thrive. Whether you’re a student, parent, employee, alum, or community member, it is all of our jobs to help keep our students from the harm of hazing.
Were you or someone you know involved in a hazing incident?
Definition of Hazing
Any activity expected of someone joining or participating in a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers them – regardless of a person’s willingness to participate.
Some examples of hazing include:
INTIMIDATION
Deception, assigning demerits, silence periods with implied threats for violation, socially isolating new members, identifying new members with demeaning terms, expecting certain items to always be in one’s possession, etc.
HARASSMENT
Verbal abuse, threats or implied threats, asking new members to wear embarrassing attire, skit nights with degrading or humiliating acts, sleep deprivation, sexual simulations, etc.
VIOLENCE
Forced alcohol or drug consumption, beating, paddling, or other forms of physical assault, branding, forced ingestion of vile substances, water intoxication, abduction/kidnapping, sexual assault, etc.
“Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.”
Bell Hooks, University of Wisconsin Graduate, M.A. English, Class of 1976
For Students
Learn how hazing effects UW-Madison students and how they should respond.
Hazing 101
Learn more about what hazing is, how it progresses, and how to identify it early.
For Community Members
Learn how hazing impacts the entire community and how family, friends, UW-Madison staff/faculty, and other community members should respond.