Hazing Prevention

Supporting Mental Health In Greek Houses Educational Webinar

Sponsored by the Mizzou Greek Alliance, Inc.

Webinar – Saturday, April 20, 2024, 9 am CST
Target audiences: Greek officers, chapter advisors, house directors, alumni and parents

Registration Link for the Program: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYkdemgpzkjHt1gzPsZYB3Gr58FvbS5RXco

Many college students today are in crisis. Tens of thousands have their lives upended as a result of depression, anxiety, and a host of other mental health disorders. According to the NIH, approximately 1,300 college students per year take their own lives. Far more end up dropping out of college altogether or are wracked by substance abuse or other behaviors that are intertwined with their mental health status. These issues affect Greek organizations as much as other college populations. Find out how you can better understand this phenomenon and the resources available to help the members of your chapter who may be in crisis. This will be a panel discussion of three highly credentialed mental health professionals, followed by a question and answer session.

Moderator: Scott Fussell, a nationally recognized mental health advocate

Panelists: Dr. Christine Even, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, Director of the University of Missouri Counseling Center
Dr. Ashely Helle, PhD, Clinical Psychologist and research faculty, Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri (Expert on substance abuse in the college age population)
Ms. Joan Masters, Senior Director, Missouri Partners (Missouri’s higher education substance misuse
consortium dedicated to creating healthy and safe college campuses)

Mizzou Greek Alliance Debuts Video Series to Change Hazing Behavior

The Mizzou Greek Alliance (MGA) has added a training video on College Hazing to its training and education program that directly confronts the harshest aspects of hazing and the consequences for anyone involved in it. Told from the perspective of a parent, the 26-minute video explores the circumstances under which hazing arises and the worst-case consequences for both those who are harmed by hazing and those who initiate it.  

We have distributed the video among our 16 member fraternities for presentation to incoming pledge classes as well as to officers, actives and alumni volunteers. Although aspects of the video are emotionally charged, the aim of the production is to effect a change in behavior among the groups to which it is aimed. The video will also be posted on YouTube and is being promoted nationally by a number of hazing activists and various national fraternities. 

MGA urges the broader Mizzou Greek community, as well as varsity sports teams, to make use of this resource.

New Hazing Prevention Guide for Chapter Advisors

Chapter advisors can play a key role in the prevention of hazing activities at fraternities and sororities when properly prepared. The Mizzou Greek Alliance has teamed up with researchers at the Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform at Penn State University Student Affairs to produce a new guide with advice for chapter advisors and research informed strategies to help prevent hazing in group contexts. The guide can be found at this link:

Hazing Prevention Matix

 

Additional Resources on Hazing Prevention

The Mizzou Greek Alliance works with several other nationally recognized organizations to bring effective hazing prevention educational programs to students on the Mizzou campus. These organizations include:

  • StopHazing: The mission of StopHazing is to promote safe and inclusive school, campus, and organizational environments through research, resource sharing, and the development of data-driven strategies for hazing prevention and the promotion of positive and inclusive group climates.  stophazing.org
  • Clery Center: This national nonprofit organization is dedicated to helping college and university officials create safer campuses. CleryCenter.org
  • CollegeAIM: The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has developed CollegeAIM, a resource for higher education officials, particularly alcohol and other drug program and student life staff, who seek to address harmful and underage drinking among their students. CollegeAIM is intended to inform and guide officials as they choose interventions for their campus communities. The CollegeAIM guide and website are updated periodically to reflect information from recent articles in peer-reviewed journals and to ensure that ratings are revised accordingly. This version of CollegeAIM is based on updates completed in 2019. Click here to see this useful guide: Planning Alcohol Interventions Using NIAAA’s College AIM   collegedrinkingprevention.gov

Hazing Prevention Training Makes An Impact

Safety is a top priority at Mizzou, and a hazing prevention training program called Prevent Zone being offered online by the Office of Student Affairs is making a positive impact on students.

  • 91% strongly agree or agree they are more likely to report hazing if they see it as a direct result of the course
  • 90% of participants report their awareness and knowledge of hazing prevention has increased significantly or somewhat as a direct result of the course
  • 90% strongly agree or agree they feel more empowered to prevent hazing on campus as a direct result of the course
  • 85% report they feel less inclined to take part in hazing as a direct result of the course