Hazing is more common than some might expect, and it’s happening in all kinds of university and college organizations, not just in fraternities, sororities and on sports teams, according to a study by University of Maine researchers that was released Tuesday.

Elizabeth Allan and Mary Madden, professors in UM’s College of Education and Human Development, conducted the National Study on Hazing and presented their initial findings Tuesday at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators annual meeting at Boston’s Hynes Convention Center.

More than 11,400 college students at 53 institutions across the country participated in the survey, making it the most comprehensive hazing study completed to date. The previous largest similar study, from 1999, had about 2,000 respondents and focused solely on student athletes.

“Students often talk about hazing as physical force and rarely account for the level of coercion that can occur,” Allan said in a phone interview last week.

In addition, some students who participated in the National Study on Hazing didn’t realize what types of behaviors constituted hazing.

While the most frequently reported behavior is excessive drinking, which has been the cause of deaths nationwide, there are many other activities that constitute hazing. Those can include acting as a personal servant, enduring harsh conditions without the proper equipment, and wearing embarrassing clothing.

In addition to the potential negative physical results of hazing, there are negative psychological impacts as well, such as feeling guilty, inability to sleep, and varying levels of depression, according to the study.

The initial survey was conducted online followed by more than 300 in-person interviews conducted by nine UM graduate students at 18 of the 53 participating universities.

The survey was supported by 24 professional associations, which provided a total of about $300,000 in funding. The North American Interfraternal Organization was a key sponsor, arranging for the participation of the other project partners, including the NCAA.

“We intentionally selected institutions that represented all types of universities,” Allan said. “We wanted to see whether or not there were any differences.”

In previous studies, surveys have focused primarily on sports teams and Greek organizations. Allan and Madden took their study further by expanding the survey and interviews to all types of student organizations, staff and students.

“We saw that hazing, even though the stereotype is that it’s related to sororities and fraternities, we really found that it cut across all types of organizations and teams,” Madden said last week.

More than half of the survey participants said they have experienced some form of hazing, which is illegal in 44 states.

The survey reveals a startling lack of awareness among those students about the serious nature of hazing and of what kinds of behavior fit the definition of hazing.

Hazing, as defined by the researchers, is any action taken in order to become a member of a group or maintain one’s membership in a group that would place someone at risk of physical or emotional harm whether or not the person is willing to participate.

Most respondents perceive the outcomes of these activities as positive, and they attribute such behaviors to being part of campus culture, although only one-third of those surveyed said hazing actually accomplished this.

“Hazing often is rationalized away … ‘we had good intentions, therefore it wasn’t hazing,'” Allan said. “Hazing is abuse.”

In addition, the surveys showed that hazing is not as secret an activity as it often is perceived.

“We found that there were many public aspects of hazing going on, such as hazing being done in public spaces,” Madden said. “Coaches were, in 25 percent of the cases, aware [of the hazing], and alumni in 25 percent of the cases were present.”

The Internet also has made hazing a more public occurrence with students posting photos of themselves, friends and teammates participating in hazing activity.

An incident that was revealed last year involving members of the University of Maine softball team in which photos of a 2006 party were posted online resulted in punishment for three individuals and the team. Three members of the team were benched for at least two games, the entire team was suspended from practice for one week, and the program was placed on probation for three years.

Although there are no stipulations for hazing in the University of Maine student-athlete code of conduct, the general code of conduct does prohibit hazing.

But the goal of the study is not just to prohibit hazing; it’s about educating students and staff about the dangers and consequences.

The researchers say this survey will significantly enhance the understanding of hazing, and it will lead to new strategies for prevention and management that also can be used at middle schools and secondary schools throughout the country.

Now that the initial and broad portion of the study is complete, researchers intend to examine the data they gathered to determine if there are gender, geographical or other trends in the data.

adolloff@bangordailynews.net

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A sample of hazing activities nationwide

. Attendance at a skit night or roast where team members are humiliated

. Wearing clothing that is embarrassing and not part of a uniform

. Being yelled, screamed or cursed at by other team-organization members

. Acting as a personal servant to another organization member

. Enduring harsh weather without proper clothing

. Drinking large amounts of a nonalcoholic beverage such as water

. Drinking large amounts of alcohol to the point of passing out or getting sick

. Watching live sex acts

. Performing sex acts with a person of the same gender