A public health approach to preventing hazing on a university campus

Abstract

Objective: The present report describes a comprehensive, public health approach to hazing prevention on a university campus and evaluates its impact over time. Participants: Two different surveys (PULSE and MASCOT) were administered to college undergraduate students, in April 2013 (PULSE n = 6,190; MASCOT n = 3,117) and March 2015 (PULSE n = 4,892; MASCOT n = 2,259). Methods: A public health model of hazing prevention was implemented between 2011–2015. The MASCOT Survey assessed experiences of hazing and non-hazing behaviors, and the PULSE Survey measured beliefs and perceptions of social norms related to hazing. Results: Survey results showed lower levels of hazing experiences reported by students in 2011–2015 compared to 2009–2013 and increased endorsement of a positive normative belief about hazing from 2013 to 2015. Conclusions: The findings represent the first measurable decrease in hazing associated with prevention efforts in the literature, though design limitations preclude clear causal inferences. The results suggest that the university’s strategies may have been effective at reducing hazing, and therefore serve as an important step forward in the field of hazing prevention research.

Keywords:

• College students
• hazing
• higher education
• interpersonal violence
• public health

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors would like to acknowledge Marne Einarson and Jennifer Austin for their contributions.

Acknowledgements

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of United States and received approval from Cornell University.

Funding

No funding was used to support this research and/or the preparation of the manuscript.