Hazing generally includes mistreatment of students or other persons (pledges or plebes) in a ritualistic or tradition-based way that must be endured by the prospective members to gain admission to a group, club, or organization. The members doing the hazing often attempt to justify these hazing practices by referring to them as a rite of passage or rationalizing that all current members had to endure it and new prospective members should as well.
Hazing can take many forms, including:
• Requiring victims to act as a personal servant to senior (older) group members
• Forcing victims to binge drink or consume large amounts of alcohol or drugs
• Requiring victims to engage in embarrassing acts, such as wearing a costume or sign around their neck in public
• Depriving victims of sleep, food, or the ability to use the restroom
• Prohibiting victims from associating with family, friends, or other persons
• Swearing or yelling insults at victims.
Most schools have policies against hazing and in many states hazing may be prosecuted as a criminal offense if it results in bodily injury.
In Iowa, hazing is addressed under Iowa Code Section 708.10, which defines hazing as any intentional or reckless act directed against a student for the purpose of being initiated into, affiliating with, holding office in, or maintaining membership in any organization, whether on or off campus, that creates a risk of serious injury to the student. The law distinguishes between hazing that results in serious injury, which is a class D felony, and hazing that does not result in serious injury, which is a simple misdemeanor. Educational institutions in Iowa typically have their own policies prohibiting hazing, which can include disciplinary measures independent of state law. It is important for students and organization members to understand that hazing practices are not only dangerous but also illegal, and participating in such activities can lead to serious legal consequences.