Virginia universities implement hazing prevention initiatives, laws
VCU student Adam Oakes died during a hazing incident at a fraternity in 2021. VCU is part of anti-hazing initiatives that are now expanding to high schools under a new law. Photo by Arrick Wilson.
Elena Gutowski, Contributing Writer
Governor Glenn Youngkin signed a bill on March 8 mandating the creation of guidelines to teach hazing prevention in Virginia high schools.
The law expands existing requirements of hazing prevention instruction as required by Adam’s Law to include “age-appropriate, extensive and current education about hazing.” This includes examples of hazing, dangers of hazing and alcohol consumption and school policies or criminal penalties, according to the law.
The bill passed unanimously in the Senate and passed the House mostly along party lines, according to Williamsburg Yorktown Daily.
Legislators originally tried to implement the standards in middle and high schools with Senate Bill 1102 during the 2023 session, but it did not advance through the House.
Virginia Commonwealth University first-year student Adam Oakes passed away in a hazing incident while pledging the Delta Chi fraternity in February 2021. Subsequently, the Virginia Senate passed Adam’s Law in January 2022, according to VCU News.
Adam’s Law “requires hazing prevention training for each current member, new member and potential new member of each student organization that has a new member process, as well as publishing student organization conduct report forms,” said Josh Skillman, VCU’s interim director of Communications and Marketing for the Division of Student Affairs.
A National Study of Student Hazing published in 2008 revealed that 55% of college students involved in clubs, teams and organizations had experienced hazing. Alcohol consumption, humiliation, isolation, sleep deprivation and sex acts were identified as the most common hazing practices, according to the same study.
In response to the implementation of Adam’s Law, representatives from VCU and the University of Virginia shared a few ways that their universities are pushing against hazing culture.
VCU joined the Hazing Prevention Consortium led by StopHazing last year and created a hazing prevention website dedicated to sharing reporting options and resources for students, families and faculty.
“University officials will work with students who report hazing to provide supportive and protective assistance in an effort to reduce fear or the likelihood of retaliation,” Skillman said.
At VCU, a few of the resources available to students are a hazing prevention website, a student organization conduct report, a hazing incident report form and hazing prevention training, according to Skillman.
Similar to those outlined at VCU, UVA has strict policies aligned with state law. UVA is a national leader in ending hazing and alcohol misuse, according to The Gordie Center.
Susie Bruce, director of the Gordie Center at UVA, said the university is working hard to educate all current and incoming students and to call attention to the resources available.
“All of our incoming students are trained in the potential new member program,” Bruce said. “We also train all the members of current organizations that have a new member process, through educational programs, so around hazing and around alcohol, and then we’re also training quality advisers.”
Under Adam’s Law, universities are only required to update their hazing policy websites with resolved cases 10 days before the start of each semester. Bruce said UVA has gone above and beyond by updating its hazing policy website promptly once a case is resolved.
“Anyone can look online and see what happened,” Bruce said. “What was the organization? What were the dates, and what were the penalties? What were the consequences for that group?”
Acacia Olander, a second-year student majoring in education and craft and material studies at VCU, said that they had only seen anti-hazing information posted once on campus.
“I’ve only seen it once if I’ve seen it at all,” Olander said. “I think VCU would benefit from having more information about hazing and the consequences of it.”
Olander also proposed that VCU take advantage of pre-existing resources to inform students on the issue, such as the student organization website, they said.
“I know a lot of freshmen will look at that when they come to VCU to think about what clubs to join, and having a little blurb about hazing on that website would be very helpful to these students,” Olander said.
Camryn Willier, a third-year student majoring in health, physical education and exercise science, said she also had only seen information on campus once, published by VCU RecWell on the Stall Seat Journal.
“But otherwise, I have not really seen VCU do much about the hazing culture or just hazing culture in general,” Willier said. “An article in a bathroom stall isn’t really spreading the message, or really doing anything to prevent serious actions resulting from hazing.”
Willier also proposed new student resources for incoming students, as well as fraternity and sorority life prospects, she said.
“If there were any guest speakers or workshops that were in place around VCU that were specifically for anyone in their freshman year or thinking about entering a sorority or fraternity, I think it would be super helpful,” Willier said.
However, VCU offers hazing prevention programming available for all students through the Office of Student Affairs.
Telana Washington, a second-year student majoring in theatrical lighting design, said it is important to educate all students and make hazing prevention material more prominent.
“VCU should do more just education-wise, I’m sure it’s probably out there, but I feel like it’s a little bit more important, especially for new students, because you come to college and you think ‘that’s kind of how it’s supposed to go’ and it’s not,” Washington said.
Correction: A previous version of this article did not reflect hazing prevention programming and conduct reports offered by VCU’s Office of Student Affairs and Fraternity and Sorority Life.
