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 Maine, hazing is addressed under Maine Revised Statutes Title 20-A, Section 10004. The law defines hazing as any action or situation that recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental or physical health of a student enrolled in a public or private post-secondary institution. This includes, but is not limited to, forced and prolonged physical activity, sleep deprivation, physical and psychological shocks, and other activities that are not consistent with academic programs. Hazing also encompasses any activity expected of someone joining a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers them, regardless of the person's willingness to participate. Maine law requires educational institutions to adopt policies prohibiting hazing and to enforce penalties for violations, which may include suspension or expulsion. Additionally, hazing that results in bodily injury can be prosecuted under Maine's criminal code, potentially leading to charges such as assault or reckless conduct. It is important for individuals and organizations to understand that hazing is not justified as a tradition or rite of passage and is subject to legal consequences in Maine.