Research Article

A Case of High School Hazing

Published: 2012-9

Journal: NASSP Bulletin

DOI: 10.1177/0192636512452338

Abstract

While collegiate fraternity and sorority hazing are well documented problems that receive prominent attention, hazing at the high school level is also a serious issue. Across the nation, media headlines offer a continual reminder that high school hazing is not a phenomenon of the past. As high school principals seek ways to discourage and eliminate incidents of high school hazing, it may be useful to examine a model that was implemented after a nationally covered, major hazing incident that occurred at a large Upper Midwestern high school. The case study analyzes the incident at the time and a follow-up study of the school several years later. A restorative justice program was designed and successfully implemented to address both the hazing incident and a school and community culture of acceptance and encouragement. A follow-up study conducted 7 years after the original incident suggested that the behaviors and the culture had changed.

Faculty Members

  • Lori J. DeWitt - Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD, USA
  • Douglas M. DeWitt - Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD, USA

Themes

  • high school hazing
  • behavior change
  • school culture
  • case study analysis
  • restorative justice

Categories

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