FGCU will observe National Hazing Prevention Week this fall.
NHPW starts on Sept. 22 and is an opportunity for students to support the prevention of hazing and increase awareness about the problem.
Hazing is any action or situation that intentionally causes embarrassment or mockery and inflicts emotional or physical harm to members of a group, usually within fraternities and sororities.
Ashton Hartley, coordinator for Student Organization Development, said NHPW is an initiative created by hazingprevention.org that is dedicated to providing campuses, schools, organizations and individuals with the opportunity to engage in dialogue about hazing in order to empower people to prevent hazing.
Sara Lohbauer, a junior biology major, plans to participate in the upcoming week of events that will help bring attention to the problem of hazing.
“Hazing is a serious problem that occurs in all levels of the community,” Lohbauer said. “It is important that we bring awareness to the issue and help people understand that this is a real problem that troubles many students. NHPW helps us expose the dangers of hazing and shows people how and why hazing can be prevented.”
Torrie Jackson, FGCU coordinator of fraternity and sorority life, said NHPW is an annual week of activities and programs designated for the last full week of September each year. This year, NHPW will take place from Sept. 22 to the 29 on campus and will consist of a host of events that seek to educate and bring attention to students, faculty and staff about hazing, how to recognize it and how to go about preventing future acts of hazing.
Jackson encourages students to participate in the activities throughout the week.
“I believe it is important to raise awareness about National Hazing Prevention Week because without adequate education, the issue of hazing cannot be resolved and prevented,” Jackson said. “This is a reccurring problem on many campuses throughout the nation, and it is time that we become proactive in making sure that our community members are equipped with the education, support, resources and confidence to take a stand against hazing.”
Jackson said through resources, programs and other services, individuals are becoming equipped to actively address the issue of hazing by focusing on educational preventive measures that transition the conversation from how to punish hazing to how to prevent it altogether.
Travis Means, a sophomore psychology major, believes hazing is present at FGCU as well as other college campuses across the country.
“I heard a rumor about the Kappas hazing at FGCU,” Means said. “I don’t believe hazing is a problem, as long as it’s not bad hazing. Some hazing goes too far, but safe hazing like making them the designated drivers or telling them to clean everything and maybe even physical stuff, like pushups, is ok. They are all consenting adults, but there should be awareness to not keep quiet about things when they go too far.”
NHPW gives the public the chance to come together and take a stand against the problem of hazing within student groups. The week provides the means necessary to increase awareness and to become well informed through numerous interactive programs and activities.
Every year, the week serves as a platform that conveys how destructive hazing can be and emphasizes the significance of putting a stop to hazing at universities. Hazing has been known to occur in Greek life, sports teams and student clubs. Furthermore, incidents of hazing are detrimental to the lives of students who experience acts of hazing, including being forced to consume large amounts of alcohol, destroying or stealing property, being physically beaten and getting verbally abused by other members of the group. NHPW is intended to assist students and faculty in understanding that it is everyone’s duty to make sure that hazing has no place on FGCU’s campus.
Students and faculty can visit hazingprevention.org for more information about hazing and what can be done to help prevent hazing.