Hazing undermines personal dignity, community trust, and student well-being. This page outlines how hazing prevention is addressed, where education is offered, and what resources are available to students, staff, and advisors. The goal is to promote safe, respectful, and values-aligned community practices while meeting institutional and legal expectations.
Resources for Students
How to have tough conversations with peers
This resource supports students in addressing concerning behaviors directly, setting boundaries, and speaking up in a constructive way.
Harm reduction tips
Guidance focused on minimizing risk, promoting safety, and recognizing when situations may be escalating into hazing or unsafe behavior.
Hazing laws and policies
An overview of applicable state laws and institutional policies related to hazing, including expectations and potential consequences.
How to access the Vector training module
Step-by-step instructions for completing hazing prevention training through the Vector platform.
Resources for Advisors
Why Tough Conversations Matter
Nevitt Sanford proposed that college student development happens when there is an optimal balance between challenge and support. This balance helps students grow into self-regulating adults capable of making values-based decisions. In the context of hazing, facilitating “tough conversations” about group culture, peer pressure, and accountability is one of the most powerful ways to introduce meaningful challenge and support students through it.
Putting It into Practice at LMU
LMU advisors and student affairs professionals should:
- Integrate hazing conversations into regular leadership meetings
- Normalize discomfort—growth often begins there
- Frame policy enforcement as an act of support, not punishment
- Help students learn the “why” behind rules, not just the “what”
- Celebrate small wins in culture change and risk reduction
Challenge: Disrupting Comfort and Conformity
When students stay in a bubble of sameness—living with their high school friends, joining the same fraternity/sorority, and continuing familiar patterns—they may miss out on developmental growth. Hazing often thrives in environments where groupthink, tradition, and fear of being the “outsider” go unquestioned.
Having conversations that challenge students to:
- Reflect on why traditions exist
- Question the ethics and impact of group behaviors
- Acknowledge peer pressure and power dynamics
- Consider how hazing undermines group integrity
...pushes students to move from black-and-white thinking (“this is how it’s always been”) into the gray area of critical reflection (“is this really in line with our values and mission?”).
Examples of developmental challenges:
- One-on-one talks with chapter presidents about secrecy in new member processes
- Framing hazing as a failure of leadership, not tradition
- Confronting excuses like “we’re just having fun” or “it happened to me too”
Support: Providing a Safe Space for Growth
Challenge alone isn’t enough. If students are confronted with serious hazing concerns but feel isolated or judged, they may retreat—defending harmful traditions or even disengaging from leadership roles altogether.
Support involves:
- Creating emotionally safe spaces to process feedback
- Offering training on risk management and ethical leadership
- Guiding chapters through the process of reforming initiation practices
- Helping students see themselves as capable of building something better
Support means not just pointing out what’s wrong — but helping students imagine what right could look like.
Self-Regulation: The Goal of Fraternity/Sorority Membership
According to Sanford’s model, self-regulation is a healthy challenge for college students—especially in Greek Life, where members are expected to govern themselves.
Facilitating self-regulation includes:
- Encouraging proactive actions like creating anti-hazing education and revising chapter rituals
- Holding students accountable when policies are violated
- Encouraging ownership over cultural change within the chapter
- Supporting leaders in balancing tradition with safety and values
Tough conversations become teaching tools: When handled with care and structure, they lead students to deeper ownership, stronger ethics, and better decision-making—not just as members of a group, but as individuals.
Hazing laws and policies
A reference guide outlining legal obligations, institutional policies, and reporting responsibilities for employees and advisors.
Common strategies to detect hazing
Practical indicators, behavioral patterns, and organizational warning signs that may suggest hazing is occurring or at risk of occurring.
Resources
- Stop Hazing
- The Spectrum of Hazing™
- The Hazing Prevention Toolkit For Campus Professionals
- National Hazing Prevention Week
Where Hazing Prevention Education is Offered
Fall 2025
President’s Summit
- Audience: Presidents of Fraternity and Sorority Life organizations
- Description: Hazing prevention education integrated into leadership expectations for organizational presidents.
National Hazing Prevention Week
- Audience: Open to all students
- Description: Prevention programming aligned with National Hazing Prevention Week
Leading the Pride
- Audience: Leaders from Registered Student Organizations
- Description: 30-minute hazing prevention session
New Member Education for SFL Students
- Audience: Students new to Fraternity and Sorority Life
- Description: Approximately 50 students attended during fall 2025. Session focuses on recognizing hazing, understanding expectations, and knowing how to seek support
Risk Education Meeting for SFL Leaders
- Audience: One leader, typically the president, from each Fraternity and Sorority Life organization
- Description: Hazing prevention and risk management expectations reviewed as part of organizational leadership responsibilities.
Spring 2026:
President’s Summit
- Audience: Organizational presidents
- Description: New hazing prevention curriculum will be introduced.
New Member Education
- Audience: Incoming members for the Sorority and Fraternity Life community
- Description: Continuation of hazing education for new members.
Risk Meeting
- Audience: One leader, typically the president, from each Fraternity and Sorority Life organization
- Description: Ongoing review of risk management and hazing prevention expectations.
Reporting and Support
If you are unsure whether a situation may be hazing, or if you are concerned about someone’s safety, reporting concerns early helps prevent harm. Students, staff, and advisors are encouraged to use established reporting channels and seek guidance when questions arise.