StopHazing & Gordie – Press Release / Partnership Announcement

StopHazing and the University of Virginia’s Gordie Center are pleased to announce a joint development agreement to support the updating and expansion of the National Study on Student Hazing — the most comprehensive nationwide assessment of student hazing experiences and hazing prevention efforts across higher education.

The partnership between StopHazing and UVA’s Gordie Center aims to strengthen nationwide understanding of hazing and build research-based tools to help colleges and universities prevent hazing and promote student group experiences that foster belonging that is free of harm.

“This collaboration represents a major step forward for hazing prevention research and practice,” said Elizabeth Allan, Ph.D., Principal of StopHazing and founding Director of the Hazing Prevention Research Lab at the University of Maine, the home of the Lives Remembered, Futures Protected campaign to support the National Study.

The Gordie Center, housed within the University of Virginia’s Department of Student Health and Wellness, brings national leadership in peer education, social norms, and bystander intervention initiatives. Through this partnership, the Gordie Center will co-develop new, research-informed resources — including infographics, training modules, and communication tools — designed to help colleges and universities translate the National Study findings into prevention strategies that work.

“There is a critical need for more current data on the extent of hazing, the mental health impacts of hazing, and perceptions of hazing among college students. Gordie Center donors made this collaboration possible through their generous financial support for this project. We are honored to partner with StopHazing in implementing the National Study and using insights from the study to create research-informed and student-tested resources to end hazing.”

— Susie Bruce, Director, University of Virginia’s Gordie Center

 “Collecting updated national data about the nature and extent of hazing is a vital demonstration of our shared commitment to hazing prevention. Translating the findings into actionable resources and tools for the public is critical for practice.”
— Elizabeth Allan, Ph.D.

Building on the original National Study of Student Hazing, which surveyed over 11,000 students at 53 colleges and universities, the updated study will survey students nationwide to capture current hazing trends, attitudes and perceptions, awareness, and more. Findings will guide the development of the new prevention resources to be released in 2027.

This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to research-based prevention, student safety, and honoring the lives of those lost to hazing.