Survey: Does hazing take place in your school?

April 16, 2015 / Athletic AdministrationCoaching
In March, Coach and Athletic Director asked readers whether they believed or had knowledge of hazing in their athletic programs. Respondents’ identities are anonymous, but the results show that just one-quarter of athletic administrators and coaches are confident hazing does not exist in their programs.

HazingChart“I would love to say absolutely not, but I can’t be 100 percent sure,” said one respondent. “What I can say is that as an athletic department and as coaches we are on guard to prevent hazing by being careful to select team captains who embody what we believe to be strong character. If our teams have strong leaders we feel the chance of hazing taking place on a team is strongly diminished.”

It’s debatable whether hazing is more of a problem today, but the public is certainly more aware. That’s partly because social media and smartphones have captured hazing rituals, forcing coaches, school administrators and sometimes law enforcement to respond.

Recently, Western Kentucky’s swimming and diving program was suspended for five years because of sexual harassment and hazing. Sayreville High School (New Jersey) garnered national attention last fall after several football players were accused of sexually assaulting teammates in a hazing ritual. The head coach was fired in February.

Resources to keep athletes safe can be found at HazingPrevention.org. Coach and Athletic Director also has published several articles over the years, offering tips and ideas to prevent hazing. Here are a few of those stories:

VIDEO: How to limit hazing at your school.

The importance of supervision in your athletic program.

Six steps you must take to stop hazing.


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