Anti-Hazing Policy
Tufts Anti-Hazing Policy
Hazing is any activity, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate, that humiliates, degrades, or endangers the mental or physical health of someone because that person is joining or continuing membership in a group, team, or student organization. Engaging or participating in hazing is prohibited. Retaliation or threats of retaliation against any person who reports, is a victim of, or is a witness to hazing, or who is involved or cooperates with the investigation of hazing is also prohibited.
Examples of hazing include, but are not limited to sleep deprivation; social isolation; public degradation; intimidation; creation of artificial or excessive stress; public nudity; deception; deprivation of privileges; name calling; assignment of duties not assigned to other members; verbal abuse; threats or implied threats; sexual simulations; requiring situationally inappropriate attire; forced or coerced consumption of any food, liquor, beverage, drug, or other substance; forced or coerced sexual acts; forced or coerced calisthenics or other similar exercise; beating, paddling, branding, or other forms of assault; bondage; kidnapping; or expected participation in illegal activity.
Endangering mental health is defined as any behaviors or activities that are reasonably likely to or do cause a significant degree of distress, humiliation, anguish, or interference with academic, professional, or personal pursuits; or any activity that causes or creates a risk of psychological injury, above the reasonable risk encountered in daily life at Tufts.
Endangering physical health is defined as any behaviors or activities that cause or create a risk of physical injury, above the reasonable risk encountered in daily life at Tufts.
State Law
In addition to being against University policy, hazing also violates Massachusetts law. The law also requires people to report hazing in certain circumstances. All behavior that violates the state hazing law is a violation of the Tufts anti-hazing policy.
Responsibilities of Student Organizations
All groups, teams, and organizations are required to provide annual notice to all members about the University’s hazing policy and state hazing law, and to certify that they have done so to the Office for Campus Life or Office of Community Standards by established deadlines annually.
Three Types of Hazing
Research on hazing suggests the behavior exists on a spectrum ranging from intimidation (or subtle) hazing to harassment hazing to violent hazing (Allan & Kerschner, 2020). Each of those three types of hazing are explained as:
1. Intimidation Hazing: Behaviors that emphasize a power imbalance between new members and other members of the group or community. This is termed “intimidation hazing” because these types of hazing are often taken for granted or accepted as “harmless” or meaningless. Intimidation hazing typically involves activities or attitudes that breach reasonable standards of mutual respect and place new members on the receiving end of ridicule, embarrassment, and/or humiliation tactics. Members often feel the need to endure intimidation hazing to feel like part of the group or community.
Examples of intimidation hazing include but are not limited to:
- Deception
- Silence periods
- Deprivation of privileges
- Social isolation
- Name calling
- Assignment of duties not assigned to other members
2. Harassment Hazing: Behaviors that cause emotional anguish or physical discomfort in order to feel like part of the group. Harassment hazing often confuses, frustrates, and causes undue stress.
Examples of harassment hazing include but are not limited to:
- Verbal abuse
- Threats or implied threats
- Sexual simulations
- Requiring situationally inappropriate attire
- Sleep deprivation
3. Violent Hazing: Behaviors that do or could cause physical or psychological harm.
Examples of violent hazing include but are not limited to:
- Placing students in the shower against their will
- Forced or coerced alcohol or other drug consumption
- Forced or coerced sexual acts
- Beating
- Paddling, or other forms of assault
- Forced or coerced ingestion of vile substances
- Bondage
- Kidnapping
- Expected participation in illegal activity
Citation:
Allan, E. J. & Kerschner, D. (2020). The pervasiveness of the hazing phenomenon. In Meriwether, J. (Ed.). Dismantling hazing in Greek Letter organizations: Effective practices for prevention, response, and campus engagement (pp. 1-31). Washington, DC: NASPA press.