Moving Beyond National Hazing Awareness Week

National Hazing Awareness Week (NHAW) shines a spotlight on hazing for one week each year, but the culture shifts when those conversations are supported by ongoing commitment and leadership throughout the entire year. 

One-time events raise awareness, but lasting change requires repeated touchpoints, strong leadership buy-in, and the collective efforts of a broad coalition. Prevention science emphasizes the importance of multiple exposures, or dosages, to prevention education as more effective than a single, one-off initiative (Nation et al., 2003), and this is amplified when paired with intentional capacity-building and campus-wide support. 

Consistent engagement backed by leadership commitment can increase the likelihood that all community members will internalize knowledge, adopt healthier behaviors, and feel empowered to intervene and take action.

The goal isn’t just to educate. It’s to create a culture of shared responsibility where the community has the language to talk about hazing, make the topic less taboo, and normalize conversations that once felt uncomfortable. When individuals can confidently name behaviors, share stories, and challenge harmful traditions, and when campus leaders visibly support and reinforce those efforts, they are more likely to hold one another accountable and prevent hazing before it escalates.

 Why Touchpoints Matter

  • Repetition builds confidence: The more often we hear about hazing prevention, through trainings, social media, tabling events, or discussions, the more comfortable we become using prevention language and strategies. 
  • Different strategies reach different audiences: Comprehensive hazing prevention is not a one-size-fits-all approach. A newsletter might reach families, a tabling event might engage a student passing by, and a film screening might spark a deep discussion between peers. Together, these create a web of prevention on and off campus. 
  • Consistency signals importance: When hazing prevention is only mentioned during NHAW, it can feel like a box to check. Integrating it into year-round programming communicates that safety and student well-being are core values of the community.

Strategies for Year-Round Integration

  • Use data regularly: Share facts about your campus’s hazing policy, state laws, or reporting structures through simple “Did you know?” posts that spark ongoing awareness. You can also highlight findings from campus surveys on student attitudes and perceptions to bring local relevance to the conversation. Blending national and campus-specific data makes prevention efforts more transparent, credible, and relatable to your community. Note: If you are unsure where to find this information or want to benchmark other institutions, HazingInfo.org’s Campus Hazing Database provides campus-specific information on policies, hazing transparency reports, state laws, and reporting contacts. 
  • Utilize social media: Incorporate prevention posts into your current social media calendar. Consistent messaging can ensure that hazing prevention remains relevant at all times. 
  • Create spaces for dialogue: Film viewings, workshops, or facilitated conversations and trainings can be utilized during orientation, standalone events, leadership retreats, and more. These can happen in-person and/or online. 
  • Advocate for commitment: Take action steps to engage changemakers (Senior Student Affairs Officers, the Student Government Association, Alumni, etc.) in the community and affirm the role of community members in building safer communities. Visible commitments can inspire others to do the same, making it a campus-wide initiative.

 Shifting Campus Culture

Culture change happens when hazing prevention becomes routine, visible, and actionable. The goal of consistent hazing prevention messaging is that community members are more likely to: 

By integrating hazing prevention throughout the year, campuses demonstrate a sustained commitment to student safety and well-being, providing students, staff, and community members not only with information but also the confidence, language, and sense of responsibility to take action. Over time, this ongoing dedication normalizes conversations about hazing, making it easier for all stakeholders to identify and address harmful behavior and stand together against hazing.

Call to Action

We hope you enjoyed National Hazing Awareness Week (NHAW) this year! Whether you used our resources or created your own, your efforts to raise awareness and prevent hazing make a real difference and don’t go unnoticed. 

While NHAW is just one week, prevention doesn’t stop there. We encourage you to keep the momentum going year-round by offering ongoing education and programming during Campus Safety Awareness Month, new student orientation, and other key times throughout the year. The more we embrace these conversations, the stronger our communities become and the closer we are to a world free from hazing. 

We look forward to seeing you again for next year’s National Hazing Awareness Week (and beyond)! 

In the meantime, explore our no-cost resource hub for tools, activities, and strategies to keep hazing prevention alive on your campus all year long.

Upcoming Trainings and Events to Support Campus Hazing Prevention

Hazing Prevention Academy

Register for the next Hazing Prevention Academy on November 6, 2025.

Author:
Lauren Griffin, M.Ed. – Program & Prevention Coordinator at StopHazing