This page is intended to be an hazing information page. As an unofficial clearinghouse, this page tracks hazing incidents in the press as they occur internationally in student groups at all educational levels, the military; adult groups (fraternal, job-related such as police, volunteer firemen, etc.); and athletic teams, cheerleaders, and school bands.

  --The second intent is to focus on the dangers facing individuals (mainly initiates but sometimes members at the hands of initiates) in groups so that no lives or psyches are destroyed when such rituals are performed.

  --The third intent is to encourage thoughtful, verifiable research by scholars in fields of study such as--but not limited to-- anthropology, sociology, psychology, and history. Coming soon: a bibliography of serious study, books, articles, dissertations, thesis projects, and in-progress research. Please let me know about your serious work or someone else's. Write Hank Nuwer.,

Anyone interested in initiations (male or female, all races) --scholars, hazing activists, coaches, students, clergy,
prisoners, gang members, military people from all countries--can link to this page and contribute to this page or criticize it in the hope that we all get learn more about life in a fast-changing, oft-violent, oft-challenging, oft-soulful existence. I've tried to write a readable study of hazing in "Wrongs of Passage" (1999) that tracks deaths from all causes in fraternities and sororities, and also a more proactive book ("High School Hazing," 2000) directed at teens that alerts them to the general rise in violent acts and use of alcohol during initiations. The hope is that by illuminating hazing, eventually societies in all countries will see a reduction in the number of cowardly and destructive acts of initiation that end in death or psychic/physical injury. In short, everything regarding initiations should be open to observation, thoughtful discussion, and debate. But all criminal hazing (banned by 41 state statutes) that passes boundaries into deep humiliation, injury, cult-like demands, intoxication, bodily penetration, or beating ordeals can not be tolerated by society.In addition to hazing info, please feel free to e-mail me with information on studies aimed at the reduction of deaths and injuries due to falls/fires/alcohol use in fraternity houses, alcohol-related
accidents and attendance at fraternity functions. I am also keeping files with positive,
comunity-minded events sponsored by Greek groups. The chart on hazing should give readers an idea about which
hazing events make the news.

This site in months ahead will chart dissertations, studies and surveys
that give us all a more accurate picture of the real risks from alcohol and hazing as compared say with occupational risks, environmental risks, etc. For example, a survey on initiation practices in
Greek groups or among high school athletes would give some idea of how many people have consumed
alcohol as part of an initiation ritual. Instead of anecdotal information about hazing, this site
(without denigrating those cautionary tales) emphasizes the need for verifiable information from
hazing surveys, tracking sites, and objective scholars/journalists examining the issue. Eventually,
I'll load information so that it is possible to compare how hazing cases are treated state to state,
school to school, organization/team to organization/team, court to court, prosecutor to prosecutor.

As a writer, I try to analyze data--to look for possible meanings to these numbers. For example, a national fraternity that regularly punishes chapters for hazing transgressions may APPEAR to the public to  have a bigger problem with hazing than National Fraternity "B" which tends NOT to kick out chapters for hazing offenses--when the opposite is often true.

This page also tracks cases of pinning and engagement
abuses/initiations by members, hazing of members by pledges as a show of unity, and so-called "pranks" that fall through the administrative cracks because they don't fit a narrow definition of hazing.