Hazing isn’t limited to far-off places or unfamiliar groups — it can take root in even the most tight-knit communities. Whether it’s a school team, a college fraternity, or a neighborhood club, hazing often hides behind traditions, bonding rituals, or the desire to belong.
What makes it especially challenging to prevent is that it doesn’t always look like abuse. Sometimes, it’s masked as harmless fun or a rite of passage. But the pressure to conform, stay silent, or protect the group can make it incredibly difficult for individuals to speak out — even when they’re being harmed.
Creating safe, respectful communities requires more than just rules on paper. It takes education, leadership, and a willingness to challenge long-standing practices. And perhaps most importantly, it demands that people believe hazing can happen anywhere — even right at home.
Westhill High School Hazing Incident Highlights Ongoing Dangers and Secrecy Behind the Practice
Eleven teen athletes from Westhill High School are now facing charges after allegedly orchestrating what they described as a prank—a staged kidnapping that quickly spiraled out of control.
Onondaga County District Attorney William J. Fitzpatrick didn’t mince words, describing the event as “criminal activity” and referring to it as “hazing on steroids.” The consequences have been serious: one younger player is reportedly traumatized.
The fallout has been swift and complicated. Law enforcement is working to manage the legal ramifications while the close-knit Syracuse community grapples with disbelief, confusion, and concern. The case has drawn national attention and sparked conversations about the pervasive nature of hazing and the ongoing struggle to define and eliminate it.
A Hidden Culture of Abuse
While the specifics of each hazing case may vary, the underlying motivations often remain the same: acceptance, tradition, and the misguided belief that enduring humiliation or abuse is a necessary rite of passage. Despite increased awareness and legislative efforts to combat hazing, the practice remains deeply rooted in various settings—from high school sports teams and college fraternities to military units and social clubs.
This latest incident underscores how difficult it is to truly measure the scope of hazing across the country. Experts and advocates point out that many cases go unreported, particularly when victims fear retaliation or are pressured to remain silent. Even when reports do surface, they are often downplayed as harmless pranks or bonding experiences, making prevention efforts even more complicated.
Understanding Hazing’s Harmful Core
Though definitions of hazing can vary across organizations, schools, and advocacy groups, the core of the practice remains consistent. According to StopHazing, a national advocacy group focused on hazing prevention, it involves any activity that “humiliates, degrades, abuses, or endangers” someone who is seeking membership or continued participation in a group—regardless of whether the person consents.
This key detail—the irrelevance of consent—is critical. Many victims may initially agree to participate in hazing rituals, not out of genuine willingness, but because of peer pressure, fear of exclusion, or a strong desire to belong.
A Deadly Tradition
Hazing isn’t just harmful—it can be deadly. Hank Nuwer, a longtime researcher and author on the subject, has documented the long and troubling history of hazing-related fatalities in the U.S. A professor emeritus at Franklin College and adjunct professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Nuwer estimates that from 1959 through 2021, there was at least one reported hazing death every year. The only exception came in 2022, which recorded no deaths. Sadly, incidents resumed in 2023 and have already continued into 2024 and 2025.
The persistence of hazing-related tragedies, especially at the college level, has prompted schools and states to implement stricter anti-hazing policies, educational programs, and criminal penalties. Yet, as the Westhill High School case shows, those measures are not always enough to stop the behavior from spreading to younger students and smaller communities.
The Challenge of Prevention
Preventing hazing requires more than just punishment after the fact. Experts argue that effective prevention must begin with education and cultural change. Coaches, teachers, administrators, and student leaders all play a critical role in creating environments where respect and accountability are the norm—and where hazing is not tolerated or minimized.
However, changing culture is notoriously difficult. Hazing often thrives in secrecy, behind closed doors and in tightly bonded groups where loyalty to the team or organization may take precedence over doing what’s right. In such environments, those who speak out risk being ostracized, or worse. That’s why advocates emphasize the importance of building trust, encouraging open communication, and teaching students to recognize harmful behavior for what it is—not just a prank, but abuse.
A Wake-Up Call for Communities
For Westhill High School and the Syracuse area, this incident is more than just a local news story—it’s a wake-up call. It’s a reminder that hazing doesn’t only happen in fraternities or elite universities; it can surface anywhere, even among young athletes in a close community.
As investigations continue and legal proceedings unfold, the school and its wider community have an opportunity to reflect, reassess, and take real steps toward prevention. That means fostering a culture where harmful initiation practices are replaced with inclusive, respectful ways to build camaraderie and team spirit.
Looking Ahead
The incident at Westhill High School reveals just how entrenched hazing remains in American youth culture—and how urgent the need is for effective, proactive strategies to stop it. Laws can deter, and punishments can send a message, but lasting change will only come through education, accountability, and a collective commitment to ending the cycle of harm disguised as tradition.
As one traumatized young player recovers and 11 teens face serious legal consequences, this case will undoubtedly serve as a cautionary tale. But more importantly, it should push schools, parents, coaches, and communities across the country to ask a difficult but necessary question: What are we doing to prevent this from happening again?
Psychologist Susan Lipkins, author of Preventing Hazing, says there’s often a significant gap between how the public views hazing or rites of passage and the reality students are facing today. Psychologist Susan Lipkins, author of Preventing Hazing, says there’s often a significant gap between how the public views hazing or rites of passage and the reality students are facing today.
Hazing “What’s actually happening is far more violent,” Lipkins explained, emphasizing that hazing has evolved into something far more dangerous than many realize.
According to Lipkins, hazing-related deaths have become increasingly hazardous over time and are no longer limited to a narrow demographic. “It’s not just White college boys anymore,” she said.
She also noted that students have told her hazing follows predictable patterns — it tends to occur during the same time of year and often involves similar rituals. However, the intensity and risk involved seem to grow each year.
Though dated, the study remains a rare glimpse into the hidden world of campus initiation rituals and highlights the urgent need for more updated research and reform. Though dated, the study remains a rare glimpse into the hidden world of campus initiation rituals and highlights the urgent need for more updated research and reform.
These harmful practices span across various student groups and organizations, revealing just how deeply hazing is embedded in some aspects of campus life.
“We’re not just looking at students anymore,” Allan explained. “We’re also engaging deans of students, coaches, campus safety officers, Greek life advisers, and other institutional figures.” The goal is to gain a more comprehensive picture of how hazing operates and is tolerated—or challenged—within campus environments.
Rethinking Hazing Prevention
When it comes to preventing hazing, Allan stresses there’s no universal solution. The problem is nuanced, and even gathering accurate data can be difficult, especially when students are reluctant to label their experiences as “hazing.”
To navigate this, researchers like Allan avoid directly asking participants whether they’ve been hazed. “Some of those behaviors might clearly fall under the definition of hazing, while others could be team-building activities that are positive and non-harmful.”
This behavioral-based approach allows researchers to better capture the reality of students’ experiences—both the toxic and the healthy. It also helps bypass the stigma or defensiveness that can come with labeling an activity as hazing.
As the 2026 study takes shape, Allan and her team hope it will not only deepen our understanding of hazing but also help schools develop more targeted and effective strategies for prevention—ones that reflect the complex and often hidden dynamics at play.
Getting students to come forward about hazing can be incredibly difficult, largely because the practice is rooted in secrecy, peer pressure, and the human need to belong. Psychologist Susan Lipkins refers to this secrecy as the “code of silence”—an unspoken rule that discourages members from revealing any group activities, no matter how dangerous or abusive they may be.
This silence is enforced in both direct and subtle ways. Lipkins explains that members are often explicitly told not to speak about what happens during hazing rituals. At the same time, stories from older members create a culture of fear and intimidation, sending a clear message: if you talk, there will be consequences.
Dr. Elizabeth Allan, a leading hazing researcher and director of the StopHazing Research Lab, believes that prevention efforts must be multifaceted. According to her, effective strategies must combine public health models, research-based approaches, skill development, and educational training. One example is the free online workshop available on the StopHazing website, which encourages a more reflective approach.
“It’s not just about saying, ‘Don’t haze,’” Allan said. “It’s about rethinking the way we form relationships with our peers—whether that’s in a sports team, a fraternity, or the school band. It’s about culture, not just rules.”
However, Lipkins remains skeptical about how effective current prevention efforts truly are. She argues that too much focus is placed on educating students, and not nearly enough on holding adults and institutions accountable. “Adults may write the policies,” she said, “but most of the time, they’re not enforcing them.”
To create a real shift, Lipkins believes prevention must start at the top. “We need buy-in from everyone—from superintendents to janitors,” she said. “The bus driver, the school resource officer, the athletic trainer—they all need to be empowered to speak up and report concerns.”
New Federal Law Targets Hazing Transparency
Experts and advocates are hopeful that recent legislation will help change the tide. This new measure, which amends the federal Clery Act, requires colleges and universities to collect and disclose detailed hazing statistics and disciplinary actions.
Under the new law, schools must post their anti-hazing policies online and publicly identify student organizations that violate them. The goal is to provide greater transparency, allowing students and parents to make more informed decisions about which groups to join.
For instance, New Jersey is considered to have one of the nation’s strictest anti-hazing statutes. It mandates policies for all educational institutions and classifies hazing that leads to death or serious injury as a third-degree crime.
Families Still Pay the Price
For parents like Jolayne Houtz, these changes come too late. He was just 19 years old.
Stories like Sam’s highlight why transparency and accountability are so vital. Parents and students deserve to know the risks, and institutions must be held responsible for what happens within their communities.
As researchers like Allan continue their work and lawmakers push for more transparency, the hope is that cultural attitudes will begin to shift. But until that happens, hazing remains a hidden and deeply entrenched danger in student life—one that thrives in silence and secrecy.
Martinez and another fraternity pledge were instructed to consume a half-gallon of rum between them during an initiation ritual.
Several former fraternity members were sentenced to jail time for supplying alcohol to a minor during the initiation event.
Houtz, who advocated for stronger state laws against hazing and supported the Stop Campus Hazing Act, also helped develop HazingInfo.org—a database that compiles hazing incidents across the U.S. She emphasized the need for more efforts to provide families with essential information and resources to prevent hazing.