This month, leaders at four US universities put numerous fraternities on probation or suspension following acts of hazing at Clemson University, Pennsylvania State University, the University of California, Los Angeles, and Washington State University.
That was just in the first two weeks of August.
Hazing remains a serious threat on today’s college campuses. We asked a current college student and two recent college graduates active in hazing prevention to offer advice to incoming college students on what they wish they had known about hazing before they arrived on campus.
Louisiana State University
Le’Ge Watts of New Orleans, LA, is studying for her bachelors in agricultural engineering at Louisiana State University and is deeply involved in hazing prevention efforts.
Her passion was sparked by the tragic February hazing death of Southern University student Caleb Wilson. Le’Ge and Caleb went to high school together and became friends. Since Caleb’s death, Le’Ge has joined HazingInfo.org’s Student Advisory Committee and has spearheaded efforts to educate her campus community on hazing.
Le’Ge’s advice:
Hazing can happen in any group. “I think that when the majority of people think about hazing, the first thing that they have to say is Greek life. I don't think people really understand that a lot of clubs and organizations who are non-Greek haze too. You can call it whatever you want – initiation into a group, proving you're worthy. It's all the same thing, different words.”
Trust your gut. “If you ever have to hesitate about doing something or someone asks you something and you get that little uh-oh feeling in your stomach or in the back of your head, that's your sign to walk away. Walk away, call the police, call anybody you can to escort you out of that situation because that's a sign that you shouldn't be there. And never think that you’re weak for walking away.”
Collect data on groups you are interested in joining. “If you're thinking about joining any type of organization, go to your phone, go to your Google search, go to Reddit, go to some of the GroupMe's, ask around. See what's the hottest gossip or the hottest info they have on this club or organization. What is the history of this organization? Do your research on the organization that you're joining and do research on not only a local level, but do it on a national level as well.”
Be part of hazing prevention efforts on your campus. “Hazing is everywhere, and we really need more people in on the work.”
University of Maine
Olivia Adams of Lowell, MA, graduated in 2025 with her bachelors in secondary education from the University of Maine, where she was a member of Alpha Phi sorority. She first learned about hazing through training programs she completed to join the sorority.
Adams is currently pursuing a graduate degree in higher education and is an intern at StopHazing. She is also a graduate assistant in the Greek life program at the University of Maine, where she is an adviser for Greek organizations.
Olivia’s advice:
“Get to know your on-campus resources, such as the adviser of your group, your student life adviser, and your Title IX office. When you're more familiar with these people, it's easier for you to get resources and advocate for what you need, such as better hazing prevention training on campus.”
Don’t let fear of hazing dissuade you from joining groups on campus. “Get active. Healthy groups you join will likely be some of the best parts of your experience.”
Advocate for yourself in the face of hazing. “If you do run into things like hazing, make sure to know that just because you're new to the group, you can’t let other people step on you. Advocate for yourself.”
“Keep an eye out for warning signs of hazing in your peers, such as grades going down or not being available. You might just think someone's not doing great but it could have a different root cause.” Refer to StopHazing’s ‘Red Flags of Hazing’ infographic for further information.
A friend wouldn’t haze you. “If you try to advocate for yourself and your peers are still gonna treat you that way, then they're not going to be your friends anyway. A friend wouldn't tear you down, they're supposed to build you up.”
Washington State University
Charlie Gartenberg of Bellevue, WA, received his undergraduate degree in management information systems at Washington State University in 2023.
Charlie has personal connections to HazingInfo.org, as he was good friends with Jolayne Houtz’s son, Sam Martinez, who was tragically killed in a hazing incident at WSU in 2019. Their friendship began in high school, and continued as they both attended WSU. They spent time together in their first months at WSU, including attending some rush events together, although they ended up joining different fraternities.
After Sam’s death, Charlie joined the Interfraternity Council at WSU to work on hazing prevention, but he met a lot of resistance in these efforts.
Charlie’s advice:
“Mental and emotional hazing are also forms of hazing. It doesn't have to be physical. If your groupmates are making you do things that make you feel any sort of embarrassment or whatever, that's going to be hurtful in the long run.” For further consideration, refer to the Spectrum of Hazing.
Respect your feelings and advocate for yourself. “Speak up if you see something. You can do it anonymously if you like, through your school.” For help with this, consult HazingInfo’s Campus Hazing Database which links reporting resources for your institution.
Find a group that supports your ability to speak up for yourself and others. “If you're experiencing stuff in your group where people don't care about your well-being and don’t support you making a report, then is that really the group you want to be in?”
More than half of college students who participate in groups, teams, or clubs experience hazing — and 95% of those students don’t report it, according to our partners at StopHazing.org.
Use our campus search tool to get the facts about hazing on your campus, including how to report it.
