Hazing Prevention & Intervention

Dear Little Brother/Sister,

Congratulations on accepting a bid to our fraternity/sorority! As you may have heard during recruitment, membership is a lifetime commitment.  As fraternity/sorority members, we must cherish our ideals and values and take pride in our Ritual which binds our entire membership together.  Our Ritual has never, nor will it ever, contain any sort of hazing.  Your initiation is directed by our Ritual, and is the last step before becoming a brother/sister.  You do not need to “earn” your letters by proving yourself “worthy” of representing the fraternity/sorority.  If you were not worthy, our chapter would not have extended you a bid.

It is a good idea to understand the risk of being hazed.  Since hazing thrives on secrecy and deception, it is important to be knowledgeable about what hazing looks like when joining any group.  If you have been hazed in the past, you are not alone, as 47% of students who were involved in high school indicated participating in hazing activities(1).  You have a responsibility to ensure that hazing doesn’t enter our fraternity’s/sorority’s culture. No one else has to endure activities which would be contrary to our organization’s values.

If you become aware of hazing, you can make an anonymous report to the National Hazing Hotline by calling 1-888-NOT-HAZE.  If you feel you, or someone else, is in immediate danger, do not hesitate to call 911.  If you are hazed, one of the most important things you can do is to resist participating in the so-called “tradition” of hazing the next generation of members.  As a member of any organization, you have an opportunity to challenge hazing and help facilitate a change in the group’s culture which will have a positive impact on the campus.  If you are being hazed by another group on campus, seek help from your brothers and the campus administration.

Sincerely,
Your Big Brother/Sister