The Truth About Hazing

On an April night in 2025 in Syracuse, New York, five underclassmen on the Westhill High School boys lacrosse team were excited to hang out with their older teammates. The underclassmen thought they were headed to McDonald’s. But when they got into a car with one of the upperclassmen, the older teammate drove them into the woods.

People wearing masks came running toward the car. One was holding a handgun. Another had a knife. They were also upperclassmen on the team, but the younger players didn’t know that. They thought they were being kidnapped. One student was tied up and shoved into the trunk of a car with a pillowcase over his head.

This wasn’t a real abduction. It was part of a dangerous initiation ritual meant to terrify the younger players and an example of hazing. Hazing is an activity that humiliates, abuses, or endangers people as a requirement for joining a team, club, or other group. It can take many forms. Sometimes hazing involves making people feel unsafe, like what the Westhill lacrosse players did. In other instances, people are subjected to pranks, forced to eat or drink excessively, or made to wear humiliating clothing. Hazing can also include physical violence or other forms of abuse.

It’s difficult to know exactly how often hazing occurs. People who are involved in hazing incidents are often reluctant to report them. In some cases, they don’t recognize their experiences as hazing. In others, they’re afraid or embarrassed to speak out.

The organization StopHazing studies hazing and educates the public about it. Researchers at StopHazing and the University of Maine estimate 47 percent of high school students involved in organized groups experience hazing. And it’s not just a problem on sports teams. Hazing is common within all kinds of groups, from theater productions to student governments to religious youth groups.

So why does hazing happen? And what can you do to stop it?

Five new members of the Westhill High School boys lacrosse team were excited. It was an April night in 2025 in Syracuse, New York. The group had plans to hang out with their older teammates. They got into a car with one of the senior players. The five boys thought they were headed to McDonald’s. Instead, the older teammate drove them into the woods.

People wearing masks came running at the car. One was holding a gun. Another had a knife. They were older boys on the team. But the younger players didn’t know that. One student was tied up with a pillowcase over his head. He was then shoved into the trunk of a car.

This wasn’t a real kidnapping. It was part of a dangerous initiation ritual. This example of hazing was meant to terrify the younger players. Hazing is an activity required for joining a team, club, or other group that humiliates, abuses, or endangers people. It can take many forms. Sometimes hazing involves making people feel unsafe. Just like what the Westhill lacrosse players did. Other times, people are subjected to pranks. They can also be forced to eat or drink excessively. Or they’re made to wear humiliating clothing. Hazing can also include physical violence or other forms of abuse.

It’s hard to know exactly how often hazing occurs. People who are involved in hazing often don’t report the incidents. They don’t see their experiences as hazing in some cases. Others are they afraid or embarrassed to speak out.

The organization StopHazing teaches the public about hazing. It also studies hazing. It and the University of Maine estimate 47 percent of high school students in organized groups experience hazing. And it’s not just a problem on sports teams. Hazing is common within all kinds of groups. That includes theater productions, student governments, and religious youth groups. 

So why does hazing happen? And what can you do to stop it?

Have you ever really wanted to join a group? It’s a very natural feeling. Being included in a group activates parts of our brains that make us feel validated and safe. On the flip side, being excluded can make you feel not just lonely, but like something dangerous is happening.

This is especially true during adolescence. As teens gain independence from their families, they pay closer attention to how they fit in with their peers. Teens’ urge to connect and be accepted can lead them to form close friendships. But it can also make them susceptible to peer pressure.

When people really want to join or be accepted in a group, their judgment can be skewed, explains Meredith Stewart of StopHazing. “Peer pressure and a desire to belong can create a coercive environment. That impedes people’s ability to provide true consent,” she says.

In a coercive environment, it can be very hard for a person to make decisions in their own best interest. People often agree to participate in activities that hurt or humiliate them, because they so badly want to be part of the team or group. Similarly, members of a group—including the ones perpetrating the hazing—can have a hard time realizing that what they’re doing is wrong and telling the other group members to stop.

“Usually the person doing the hazing has already been hazed themselves,” says Susan Lipkins, a psychologist who studies hazing. “Those with power feel like they have a right and a duty to pass on the tradition.” This creates a vicious cycle, where people who have been hurt by hazing in the past pass on that hurt to others.

Have you ever really wanted to join a group? It’s a very natural feeling. Being in a group activates parts of our brains. They make us feel included and safe. But there’s a flip side. Being left out can make you feel lonely and like something bad is happening.

This is especially true during adolescence. Teens are gaining independence from their families. They’re paying closer attention to how they fit in with their peers. Teens have an urge to connect and be accepted. That can lead them to form close friendships. But it can also make them open to peer pressure.

People’s judgment can be skewed when they really want to join or be accepted in a group. That’s according to Meredith Stewart of StopHazing. “Peer pressure and a desire to belong can create a coercive environment. That impedes people’s ability to provide true consent,” she says. It can be very hard for a person to make decisions in their own best interest in this type of environment. People can want to be part of the team or group very badly. They’ll agree to join in activities that hurt or humiliate them. Similarly, members of a group can have a hard time realizing they’re doing something wrong and telling others to stop. That includes group members doing the hazing.

“Usually, the person doing the hazing has already been hazed themselves,” says Susan Lipkins. She’s a psychologist who studies hazing. “Those with power feel like they have a right and a duty to pass on the tradition.” This creates a vicious cycle. People who have been hurt by hazing in the past pass on that hurt to others.

Hazing incidents span a range of behaviors. Some of the most common types involve actions that are intimidating or embarrassing but not degrading or violent. For example, new group members might be given demeaning nicknames, or told to complete trivial tasks or extra chores. Less common but more extreme cases of hazing involve threats, abuse, or violence, perceived or real.

All hazing incidents—even those considered less extreme—can have damaging consequences. “Hazing can lead to mental health symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, physical injuries, and even loss of life,” says Stewart. On average, five people in the U.S. die because of hazing each year. Many more people end up in hospitals because of hazing-related alcohol poisoning or other injuries.

The impact on mental health can last for years. This is true for people on both sides of the hazing power dynamic. “For folks who are leading the hazing activity, there can also be long-standing psychological impacts,” says Stewart. For instance, if someone gets used to a group dynamic in which people need to be humiliated or hurt in order to be accepted, it can be hard for that person to feel safe in groups and friendships in the future.

Most schools have anti-hazing policies that can lead to students being suspended from school or kicked off teams. After the hazing incident in Syracuse, Westhill High School canceled the remainder of the lacrosse season. Even team members who were not involved in the incident paid the price for it, as their chances for college sports scholarships were affected.   

Police also charged the upperclassmen with a serious crime. Hazing-related crimes can lead to prison time. They can end up on a person’s permanent record, making it difficult to get a job or rent an apartment in the future.

Hazing incidents span a range of behaviors. Some of the most common types involve actions that are intimidating or embarrassing. For example, new group members might be given mean nicknames. Or they’re told to complete trivial tasks or extra chores. Less common but more extreme cases of hazing involve threats. Hazing and bullying are both unwanted aggressive behaviors, abuse, or violence.

All hazing incidents can have damaging effects. That includes those that seem less extreme.

“Hazing can lead to mental health symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, physical injuries, and even loss of life,” says Stewart. Five people on average in the U.S. die because of hazing each year. Many more people end up in hospitals. That’s often because of hazing-related alcohol poisoning or other injuries.

The impact on mental health can last for years. This is true for people being hazed and doing the hazing. “For folks who are leading the hazing activity, there can also be long- standing psychological impacts,” says Stewart.

We all crave acceptance. But if you’re in a group and something is happening that doesn’t feel right, it’s important to take a step back, think for yourself, and speak up. If a group is singling people out and making them do things they wouldn’t normally want to do, that is a red flag. And if you feel that what is happening is wrong, you’re probably not alone.

“When you notice harmful behavior happening in a group context, what we’ve learned from research is that more likely than not, your peers are also thinking that this might be risky or harmful,” Stewart explains. “Talk to your peers rather than just assuming that they’re on board with hazing. Then you can collectively decide to do something else.”

Experts at StopHazing recommend three strategies for bystanders to intervene in situations when hazing might occur. These are known as the “three D’s”: Direct, Distract, Delegate.

The first of these strategies is to directly confront the people engaging in hazing if you feel safe doing so. A second strategy is to find a way to distract the group’s focus away from the hazing, so it stops as a result. You could also delegate the responsibility by reaching out to a trusted authority figure, like a parent, coach, or teacher, for help (see “Anti-Hazing Strategies,” below, for more information). If there is an immediate threat of serious injury or life-threatening harm, call 911.

You can also take steps to prevent hazing before it starts. If you’re in a group where hazing new people is a tradition, talk to your fellow group members about the dangers and the ways hazing can undermine group connection and trust. Try saying “Doing something else would be more fun for everyone,” or “Remember when we were put through this? Do we really want to do that to someone else?”

It’s great to feel liked and accepted in a group. But hazing robs millions of young people of that experience. By taking action against hazing, we can create more welcoming groups, keep people safe, and even save lives.

We all want to be accepted. But something may happen in a group you belong to that doesn’t feel right. Then it’s important to take a step back. Think for yourself. And speak up. A group may single people out. They might be made to do things they wouldn’t normally want to do. That is a red flag. And you’re probably not alone if you feel what’s happening is wrong.

“When you notice harmful behavior happening in a group context, what we’ve learned from research is that more likely than not, your peers are also thinking that this might be risky or harmful,” Stewart explains. “Talk to your peers rather than just assuming that they’re on board with hazing. Then you can collectively decide to do something else.”

Experts at StopHazing suggest three strategies for people. They can help in situations when hazing might occur. These are known as the “three D’s”: Direct, Distract, Delegate. Here’s the first strategy. Directly confront the people involved in hazing if you feel safe doing so. A second strategy is to find a way to distract the group’s focus away from the hazing. That way it stops as a result. You could delegate, or give, this job to a trusted authority figure, like a parent, coach, or teacher (see “Anti-Hazing Strategies,” below, for more information). Call 911 if there is an immediate threat of serious injury. The same goes for life-threatening harm.

You can also take steps to stop hazing before it starts. You might find yourself in a group where hazing new people is a tradition. Talk to your fellow group members about the dangers of hazing. Explain how it can hurt group connection and trust. Try saying “Doing something else would be more fun for everyone.” Or say “Remember when we were put through this? Do we really want to do that to someone else?”

It’s great to feel liked and accepted in a group. But hazing robs millions of young people of that experience. People can take action against hazing. That creates more welcoming groups, keeps everyone safe, and even saves lives.