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It’s time for StopHazing’s annual Year-In-Review! 2024 has been quite a year – let’s recap it together in this blog post. We briefly highlight many of the milestone moments, achievements, updates, new content, and announcements over the last twelve months from the small-but-mighty StopHazing team.

Thanks for being a part of the hazing prevention community and working hard to create safer environments where students can thrive. 

Research

The research team published an astonishing 5 new peer-reviewed articles (with a sixth in press!), several book chapters, secured grant funding for a club sports study, collected new data to evaluate the efficacy of several hazing prevention trainings, continued analysis and writing on several other studies, and announced the relaunch of the National Study 2.0 along with the Hazing Prevention Research Lab at the University of Maine. 

New publications:

  • Unsettling tradition: Exploring intersections of campus hazing and white supremacy in the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education.
  • We don’t haze: Testing the effectiveness of a video-based hazing prevention training for college students in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
  • Troubling rigor: Exploring intersections of campus hazing and white supremacy in Innovative Higher Education.
  • What Does It Take? Reframing Organizational Commitment to Campus Hazing Prevention in the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice.
  • Service Members’ Attitudes Toward Reporting hazing – in Military Medicine
  • Exploring the Perceived Impact of a Multi-Year Campus Hazing Prevention Initiative at Eight Universities in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence (in press – evaluation of the HPC).

New Book Chapters: 

  • Allan, E. J., & Kerschner, D. J. (2024). Hazing and its prevention in collegiate athletics. In J. Johnson & J. W. Chin (Eds.), Cultures of Sport Hazing and Anti-Hazing Initiatives for the 21st Century (pp. 119-144). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1476-285420240000023008
  • Allan, E. J. & Kerschner, D. (forthcoming). Not Just Fraternities & Sororities: The Evolving Paradigm of Hazing in Athletics. In Meriwether, J. (Ed.). Hazing in College Athletics: Combating Destructive Practices and Hidden Harms. Routledge.

Ongoing projects: 

  • NIRSA Foundation grant project to evaluate the 10 Signs of Healthy & Unhealthy Groups training with club sports athletes.
  • Efficacy study of the StandUp to Hazing online course – the only online course rigorously evaluated and pilot study data indicates effectiveness. 
  • Continued evaluation of the 10 Signs of Healthy & Unhealthy Groups training in various group types.
  • Announced the launch of the second National Study of College Student Hazing.

Recent research-to-practice blog series – Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3

Hazing Prevention Consortium (HPC)

In its 11th year of operation as the leading hazing prevention initiative, the HPC reached some major milestones. 

  • An evaluation of the HPC and its effectiveness was published in a peer-reviewed journal – the first of its kind!
  • The research team completed a record number of site visits to produce 12 Campus Culture and Hazing Climate reports! 
  • Four institutions wrapped their final year of the HPC, presenting their evaluation case studies at the HPC Summit in June. 
  • The recordbreaking HPC Summit, hosted at UMaine was the largest Summit to-date and amidst the unique learning and networking opportunities, featured special guests and educational sessions that focused on new approaches for the field. 
  • We hosted monthly webinars and roundtable discussions with cutting-edge concepts for prevention.
  • 12 institutions in their first and second years are engaging in HPC activities including monthly webinars, roundtable discussions, and individual campus coaching (technical assistance) calls to keep hazing prevention momentum, strategic planning, and implementation going on campus. 
  • As usual, the work of the HPC has generated new resources, training opportunities, research projects, and publications that inform the work throughout the field. 

We look forward to reconvening again in person in June for the next HPC Summit and welcoming new institutions to the HPC in the fall! For more information reach out to meredith@stophazing.org.

Resources

As the home to the largest collection of hazing prevention resources, we continued to build both no-cost resources and exclusive Member and HPC resources this year. We also shared new content through 12 blog posts. 

New No-cost Resources:

Member and HPC Exclusive Resource:

  • Building Hazing Incident Transparency Reports – Webinar & Checklist 
  • Hazing Policy Rubric
  • Campus Triangulation Resource (used to align HPC recommendations with institutional strategic plans)

Policy 

After over ten years in the making, the Stop Campus Hazing Act, federal hazing prevention legislation, passed through Congress and was signed into law by President Biden. 

This is a massive accomplishment and step forward for student safety and well-being. 

It’s impossible to quantify and accurately describe all of the hard work that went into this accomplishment, but to provide some context of the last ten years, StopHazing staff:

  • Traveled to DC over 10 times to walk the hill to meet with legislators
  • Presented at Congressional hearings to lay the groundwork for federal legislation
  • Provided subject matter expertise and guidance in writing and revising the bill 
  • Strategized with partners and stakeholders – especially the DeVercelly family, Clery Center, and SAFE Campuses, LLC
  • Provided oversight for the work of 6 policy interns including Rebecca Tyus, Deiondra Wussow, Samiah Bansal, Kate Kerin, Ellan Allan-Rahill, and Yusra Hassan
  • Built grassroots support for the legislation, including through public advocacy, institutional leadership commitment, and engaging communities nationwide
  • Authored papers and blog posts to communicate the importance of the legislation

The StopHazing team is grateful to everyone who supported this effort, and no contribution is too small to celebrate and acknowledge.

It was no small feat and would not have been possible without the work of many! It has been an honor to partner with Clery Center and the DeVercelly family and many other families who courageously shared their stories, walking the Hill, contacting legislators, and tirelessly supporting the effort.

StandUp to Hazing (SUP) – Online Course

StandUp to Hazing™, the online course we developed early last year, is in high demand and is the most effective solution of its kind on the market. We are licensing SUP at institutions and organizations nationwide, providing a research-based online hazing prevention education option at scale.  

  • This course is the only research-based training on the market developed by experts in hazing prevention and student development.
  • It is 20-minutes in length, scrolling-based and engaging, and fulfills state legal mandates (and the new federal law) for research-based education. 
  • Testimonials from users this year:
    • We chose this program because it is high-quality research-informed education that provides knowledge and skill development. … The staff are amazing and make the process of connecting chapters to the curriculum easy. The logistics information provided throughout the content makes successfully completing the course seamless. (Kim, Pi Kappa Alpha)
    • The module is accessible, informative, and very easy to use. … when compared with hazing conversations we were having with students in previous years, our students who took the course are noticeably better informed about hazing and how to prevent it. The experience of implementing the course was seamless and the team at StopHazing was very easy to work with. I’d recommend this course to any campus looking to bolster its hazing prevention efforts with additional education. (Emma, UC Santa Barbara)
  • Request a demo to get a quote and learn how this tool can support your planning for 2025.
  • Thank you to our campus and organizational partners who trusted us to help educate their communities this past year! We’re grateful for your support and commitment to hazing prevention. 

Membership & Consulting

StopHazing’s Annual Membership program had another record-breaking year in bridging the gap between our no-cost resources and the signature Hazing Prevention Consortium (HPC). This program provides additional resources and StopHazing expertise and coaching to campus, while remaining sensitive to limited budgets and capacity.  

  • The Membership program saw several new features for participating institutions in 2024 including:
    • Additional coaching call opportunities (monthly).
    • New research-based resources.
    • Additional opportunities for expert guidance and support – including compliance and policy support and priority email support.
    • Hazing Prevention 101 Training & Customizable Slide Deck to support campus professionals in delivering research-based hazing prevention to unique campus audiences.
    • Discounted access to the new online curriculum, StandUp to Hazing©™.

StopHazing has continued to provide consulting options for institutions and organizations through assessments, expertise/coaching, and developing tailored trainings and summits for systems and institutions. 

Programs & Trainings

Our facilitation team conducted workshops both virtually and in person this year, covering thousands of miles and delivering tailored, hands-on education to small and large organizations. The most popular workshop was Making Space for Leaders to Lead Change. Thank you to our facilitators, Angela Ging, M.Ed. and Megan Deshon-Runge!

Workshop facilitations continue to be a great way to deliver education and training to groups, in a very customized and thoughtful way. Reach out if you’d like to discuss how to bring a facilitator to your institution or organization. 

Collaboration – HAZING and Byron Hurt

This year, building on our partnership with filmmaker Byron Hurt and his production company, God Bless the Child Productions, we partnered to host another film viewing and developed a bystander intervention resource to accompany Hurt’s (2022) film HAZING. This guide includes:

  • Background information about the definition of hazing and the Spectrum of Hazing™. 
  • Information for each step of Berkowitz’s (2009) 5-step model for bystander intervention, specific to hazing prevention.
  • Discussion questions for each step of the model.
  • Facilitation tips for using the HAZING film as a resource to discuss hazing prevention, and a list of film-specific reflection questions about bystander intervention.

Another film resource, highlighting the role of power dynamics in hazing, is in progress.

Keynotes and Special Events & Programs

  • NASPA – The StopHazing team attended NASPA’s Annual Conference in Seattle this year and hosted / co-hosted three educational sessions and an exhibitor’s booth. 
  • Missouri Partners in Prevention’s Meeting of the Minds – Invited as featured speakers and exhibitors, the StopHazing team hosted a pre-conference Hazing Prevention Academy (HPA) and three educational sessions. 
  • The Spectrum of Hazing: How the Research Informs Our Practice – in partnership with NASPA and 360 Proof, participants gained insights into the research foundation, practical applications, and strategies for using the Spectrum of Hazing to prevent and recognize normalized forms of hazing. 
  • The Stop Campus Hazing Act: What You Need to Know – With partners at Clery Center, this webinar reviewed the new federal legislation and how it impacts Clery Act compliance and hazing prevention requirements at institutions of higher education.

National Hazing Awareness Week (NHAW) Events

HazingInfo.org – Campus Hazing Incident Transparency Database

Here are some major milestones and highlight from HazingInfo, a partner project of StopHazing, this year!

  • HazingInfo successfully launched the new website at the NASPA annual conference in Seattle, featuring data on hazing incidents from four states and using the opportunity to collect user feedback to make site improvements. 
  • HazingInfo now includes nine states with hazing incident data: Georgia, Louisiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. 
  • The HazingInfo Blog launched and has 15 blogs published to date, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability on college and university campuses. 
  • We celebrated Sam on his 24th birthday and, on November 5th, remembered Sam on the 5th anniversary of his passing. 
  • HazingInfo and StopHazing have partnered with the Tyler family to honor their son, Luke, who died in 2023 after months of hazing while joining a fraternity at Washington State University.
  • Co-founder, Jolayne Houtz, visited Washington, D.C., and wrote several pieces including op-eds to encourage lawmakers in the Senate to vote “yes” on the passage of the Stop Campus Hazing Act.
  • With the passage of the Stop Campus Hazing Act, HazingInfo will expand the database to all 50 states and will further amplify Clery Act data.
  • To keep up with HazingInfo’s progress, follow on social media and subscribe to the newsletter! 

The StopHazing Team 

The StopHazing team has continued to grow and everyone contributes exceptionally high-quality work, demonstrates teamwork and support for each other, and passion for preventing hazing. 

  • Elizabeth J. Allan, Ph.D., Principal
  • Dave Kerschner, Ph.D., Post-Doctoral Fellow for Research & Evaluation
  • Meredith Stewart, M.Ed., Operations Manager
  • Jenny Desmond, M.A., Program & Training Specialist 
  • Megan DeShon-Runge, Hazing Database & Outreach Coordinator
  • Devin Franklin, M.Ed., Doctoral Research Fellow
  • Angela Ging, M.Ed., Training Specialist & Research Assistant
  • Meg Stewart, M.P.A., Communications Assistant 

Want to learn more about us? Reach out.

StopHazing Internships & Collaborative Partnerships

In the News…

Here are a few recent news headlines featuring StopHazing-

Looking ahead…

2025 is already shaping up to be a busy and extremely pathbreaking year for hazing prevention. 

Some key events to connect with StopHazing at:

  • NASPA Strategies | January | Boston, MA – we have two pre-conference training sessions and two educational sessions.
  • UC System Hazing Prevention Summit | February | Santa Barbara, CA – we are looking forward to training UC system campus professionals and leaders for comprehensive, campus-wide hazing prevention over two days. 
  • Preparing for the Stop Campus Hazing Act | Feb-March | Virtual | Partnering with Clery Center, you can participate in a 3-part training series to prepare to implement the new requirements of the federal legislation. Registration information is forthcoming.
  • Hazing Prevention Academy | March 25, 1-4PM EST | Virtual | The next HPA is in March, you can register now!
    • Testimonial: “This was GREAT information. Provided information and action items that are doable! Thank you!”
    • Register here
  • Meeting of the Minds Annual Meeting | April | St. Louis, MO – we are thrilled to return as a featured exhibitor and partner with MO PIP staff to deliver sessions on hazing prevention and transparency.  

Other ongoing items on the radar:

  • Hazing Prevention Consortium (HPC) | Join the next group of HPC institutions with the most comprehensive, campus-wide hazing prevention initiatives.
  • StandUp to Hazing | License the online course, Standup to Hazing to deliver research-based online education with ease. Connect with us to lock in your rate for 2025! Have your course ready for implementation and meet state and federal education requirements.
  • National Study 2.0 | Stay tuned for more information about the rollout and timelines of the National Study 2.0.

With Gratitude

Thank you for all of your hard work to prevent hazing this year- and of course for your support and being a great colleague, friend, and partner in preventing hazing and keeping students safe. 2024 was a big year. We made a lot of strides forward and have built momentum to launch into 2025 with more infrastructure, capacity, and determination to #StopHazing!

Thank you for everything. 

With gratitude,

The StopHazing Team

Elizabeth, Dave, Meredith, Megan, Jenny, Devin, Meg, and Angela

End-of-Year Gifting

Consider making an end-of-year gift to celebrate the achievements of 2024 and keep the momentum going for life-saving research and resource development for hazing prevention.

Give to Hazing Prevention