Hazing is the beast in academe's basement, often lurking unseen and unreported, only to rise again and again despite countless rules and zero-tolerance policies. It takes many forms, some physically violent, some emotionally cruel, some booze-soaked, some silly. Since 1970, colleges have seen at least one hazing-related fatality each year, and the…

More than half of students who belong to campus organizations experience hazing, according to a national study. While the practice is most common in fraternities, sororities, and varsity athletics teams, it also happens to half of students in performing-arts organizations and to more than a third of those in academic clubs, according to a report…

A Texas court's recent ruling that allowed a negligence lawsuit to proceed against 12 former administrators at Texas A&M University has some higher-education legal experts concerned about campus officials' liability in a variety of situations, including fraternity initiations, housing accidents, and student suicides. The decision was in favor…

Fraternities are criticized for deteriorating student behavior, but college administrations are also under fire for not controlling or taking responsibility for the organizations. Conflict over the organizations' value continues. (MSE)

Greek advisors feel some sororities abuse vulnerable young women who will do almost anything, including self-destructive behavior sometimes leading to death, to join. Although awareness of hazing is increasing on campus, many of the activities persist. Members feel membership advantages outweigh problems. (MSE)

At the annual meeting of the National Interfraternity Conference, the national presidents of 59 fraternities voted to study alternatives to pledging. Some think that pledging has become synonymous with hazing, and that eliminating pledging would reduce the chances for abuse. (MLW)

The alcohol-related death of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) freshman has focused attention on problems in the institution's housing policies and fraternity system, including unclear policy about housing and long-ignored complaints about hazing and dangerous drinking in the Greek system. (MSE)

The persistence of dangerous initiation rituals in student organizations despite administrative and legislative efforts to end them is examined. (MSE)

College administrators say, although sorority hazing is more likely to involve emotional/psychological abuse than physical violence, it is a growing problem. On some campuses, because traditionally black sororities pledge members at different times of year than traditionally white ones, their rush periods are not necessarily monitored as closely.…

While college and university officials tend to say they have fraternity hazing under control due to school policies and state criminal laws, critics find the laws have been ineffective, in part because of a tendency to blame the victims. Punishment of some student perpetrators has been minimal. Liability of schools can be substantial, with…

A study of over 2,000 college athletes and 1,600 coaches and administrators reveals that abuse is common in team initiations. Nearly two-thirds of athletes admitted participating in "questionable" behavior, and over one-quarter had participated in dangerous or criminal behavior. Female athletes are almost as likely as males to participate. Only…

The Citadel, a state institution, has attempted to push for a broad-based education in languages, history, and literature while maintaining its 145-year-old tradition of military discipline and training. An incident with a black cadet has brought on a barrage of public criticism. (MLW)