Stop Campus Hazing Act Supports a Culture of Student Safety

It’s estimated that more than half of college students involved in sports, clubs, or other social organizations have experienced hazing. Hazing has historically been difficult to prevent because it is often ingrained into the culture of campus organizations such as fraternities, sororities, sports teams, and clubs. In many cases, incidents are never reported to campus officials.

The Stop Campus Hazing Act (HR 5646/S 2901), signed into law on December 23, 2024, marks a significant step in promoting student safety on college campuses. This act adds important reporting requirements for colleges and universities participating in federal student aid programs.

What Does the Stop Campus Hazing Act Do?

The Stop Campus Hazing Act requires educational institutions to:

1. Disclose hazing incidents reported to campus security authorities or local police agencies in their annual security report.
2. Develop and distribute a “Statement of Policy and Prevention Program on Hazing” as part of their annual security report. This statement must include:
   1. A summary of current hazing policies, how to report hazing, how hazing is investigated, and applicable local, state, and tribal laws on hazing.
   2. A policy on hazing prevention and awareness programs, including details about campus-wide prevention programs that are research-informed. These programs should target students, staff, and faculty and should focus on primary prevention strategies. This includes skill-building for bystander intervention, promoting ethical leadership, and fostering group cohesion without hazing.
3. Compile a “Campus Hazing Transparency Report,” which must be updated at least twice a year and published prominently on the institution’s website. This report must include:
   1. The name of any student organization that has violated the institution’s standards of conduct regarding hazing.
   2. A description of the violation and when it occurred.

Changing the Culture

The Stop Campus Hazing Act defines hazing as:

1. Any intentional, knowing, or reckless act committed by a person against a student (regardless of that student’s willingness to participate) that relates to initiation into, affiliation with, or maintenance of membership in an organization (e.g., a club, athletic team, fraternity, or sorority).
2. Any act that causes or is likely to contribute to a substantial risk—above the reasonable risk encountered in the course of participation in the institution or the organization—of physical injury, mental harm, or degradation.

Examples of hazing include sleep deprivation, coerced consumption of alcohol or other substances, coercing someone into performing sexual acts, and more.

Since 2000, more than 50 students have tragically lost their lives due to hazing. The Stop Campus Hazing Act ensures that all educational institutions, regardless of state, comply with federal hazing policies and reporting requirements. In recent years, states like Ohio have strengthened their own laws, such as Collin’s Law, which imposes harsher penalties for hazing. By enhancing reporting obligations, the Stop Campus Hazing Act raises awareness of the dangers of hazing. It provides students with clear guidance on how to act if they witness or experience such incidents. To further support these efforts, our Higher Education National Insights Reports offer valuable data on campus safety and student well-being, covering over 2,000 colleges and universities and impacting over 10 million students.

Currently, 44 states have anti-hazing laws. The Stop Campus Hazing Act ensures federal standards promoting safer campus environments nationwide.

How Can Institutions Prepare for the Stop Campus Hazing Act?

To prepare for compliance with the Stop Campus Hazing Act, institutions should:

• Evaluate their current reporting procedures and policies.
• Identify gaps in their prevention programs for faculty, staff, and students.
• Develop a comprehensive compliance plan that reflects their commitment to ensuring a safer campus.

How Vector Can Help You Address Campus Hazing

Vector Solutions offers expert-authored online courses designed to help colleges and universities with safety, compliance, and student well-being, including hazing awareness and prevention programming for students, faculty, and staff.

Hazing Awareness and Prevention Course for Students

This course educates students on the importance of hazing prevention, helping them to:

• Learn the key components of hazing.
• Recognize the signs of hazing.
• Identify who is involved in hazing and why they behave in certain ways.
• Understand the risks and dangers associated with hazing.

Crucial Wellness and Safety Training for College and University Students

Hazing Awareness and Prevention for Faculty and Staff

This course helps faculty and staff understand the impact of hazing and gives them the skills they need to prevent it. The course covers:

• The key components of hazing.
• How to identify who is involved in hazing and the reasons behind their behavior.
• The continuum of hazing behaviors.
• Strategies for preventing hazing and supporting victims.

Health and Human Safety Courses for Faculty and Staff

Additional Resources to Help Combat Campus Hazing

Explore the following resources and webinars for more on hazing prevention:

• Training is Not Enough: Hazing Prevention
• Collins Law: New Hazing Bill Passed in Ohio
• National Insights Reports on Higher Education