Policies & Penalties

• UC Riverside Authority

  The University has jurisdiction over on-and off-campus incidents involving students or student organizations. The University may impose discipline for a violation or an attempt to violate any University policy or campus regulation. The lack of intent to commit a violation is not a factor in determining if a violation has occurred. In addition, the governing bodies of EVERY fraternity and sorority on the UCR Campus forbid hazing.

  Organizations/individual student participants may face sanctions intended to stop the behavior and prevent its recurrence. This can include university chapter/organizational and/or individual suspension or dismissal from the University of California.

• UC Policy 102.12

  The discretion for the university to exercise off-campus jurisdiction includes but is not limited to the following behavior: Participation in hazing or any method of initiation or pre-initiation into a campus organization or other activity engaged in by the organization or members of the organization at any time that causes, or is likely to cause, physical injury or personal degradation or disgrace resulting in psychological harm to any student or other person.

  Key elements of this broad definition include the following:

  • Acts can be hazing even if the person being hazed is willing to participate.
  • While hazing typically involves new members, current members of a group can be hazed.
  • The phrase “likely to cause” refers to how a typical or average person would view the activity.
  • Hazing can take physical or mental forms.

  Joining a group should never involve:

  • sleep deprivation
  • eating gross stuff
  • acts of exertion
  • isolation from the group
  • acts of servitude
  • alcohol

  Context matters

  Note: while some behaviors constitute hazing regardless of context (e.g., paddling, use of alcohol), others depend on the circumstances. For example, requiring athletes to perform normal calisthenics as part of conditioning would not be hazing, but requiring new members of a non-athletic student organization to do push-ups in the middle of the night would constitute hazing.

• California State Definitions & Penalties

  Some activities are easily spotted as hazing. Others may not be so easily classified. Ask yourself the following questions to determine if your planned activity is hazing:

  • Would you tell prospective members what they will go through?
  • Would you tell the parents of your members what you are doing?
  • Would you let the University administration know what your organization is planning or conducting?
  • Would you let your advisor, coach, sponsor, or national office know your plans?
  • Would you be prepared to go to court to defend the merit of this activity?
  • Would you let the Highlander Newspaper observe and report your activity?

  Forms of Hazing

  A. SUBTLE HAZING:
  Behaviors that emphasize a power imbalance between new members/rookies and other members of the group or team. Termed “subtle hazing” because these types of hazing are often taken-for-granted or accepted as “harmless” or meaningless. Subtle hazing typically involves activities or attitudes that breach reasonable standards of mutual respect and place new members/rookies on the receiving end of ridicule, embarrassment, and/or humiliation tactics. New members/rookies often feel the need to endure subtle hazing to feel like part of the group or team. (Some types of subtle hazing may also be considered harassment hazing).

  Some Examples:

  • Deception
  • Assigning demerits 
  • Silence periods with implied threats for violation 
  • Deprivation of privileges granted to other members 
  • Requiring new members/rookies to perform duties not assigned to other members 
  • Socially isolating new members/rookies 
  • Line-ups and Drills/Tests on meaningless information 
  • Name calling 
  • Requiring new members/rookies to refer to other members with titles (e.g. “Mr.,” “Miss”) while they are identified with demeaning terms 
  • Expecting certain items to always be in one's possession

  B. HARASSMENT HAZING:
  Behaviors that cause emotional anguish or physical discomfort in order to feel like part of the group. Harassment hazing confuses, frustrates, and causes undue stress for new members/rookies. (Some types of harassment hazing can also be considered violent hazing).
  Some Examples:

  • Verbal abuse
  • Threats or implied threats
  • Asking new members to wear embarrassing or humiliating attire
  • Stunt or skit nights with degrading, crude, or humiliating acts
  • Expecting new members/rookies to perform personal service to other members such as carrying books, errands, cooking, cleaning etc
  • Sleep deprivation
  • Sexual simulations
  • Expecting new members/rookies to be deprived of maintaining a normal schedule of bodily cleanliness.
  • Be expected to harass others

  C. VIOLENT HAZING:
  Behaviors that have the potential to cause physical and/or emotional, or psychological harm.
  Some Examples:

  • Forced or coerced alcohol or other drug consumption
  • Beating, paddling, or other forms of assault
  • Branding
  • Forced or coerced ingestion of vile substances or concoctions
  • Burning
  • Water intoxication
  • Expecting abuse or mistreatment of animals
  • Public nudity
  • Expecting illegal activity
  • Bondage
  • Abductions/kidnaps