DePauw's definition of hazing is standard. According to the website hazing is "any action or experience expected of new or current members of an organization or team, regardless of their willingness to participate, that humiliates or degrades them, or risks emotional or physical harm."
Deciding to take action to halt hazing in its tracks and prevent its future existence, a policy known as the Fresh Start Program was put into action a few years back.
The Fresh Start Program states that if an organization comes forward and admits its hazing offenses prior to actually getting caught, the organization will be, in a sense, forgiven and awarded a clean slate.
Greek life coordinator Eric Wolfe said the goal is to eliminate the presence of hazing within any organization within the university by providing alternatives.
"If an organization holds a scavenger hunt at four in the morning, we ask them ‘why did you do that? What did you want to get out of that?'" Wolfe said. "Once we establish that, we try to find other options that would accomplish that same goal."
President of the Interfraternity Council Mitch Turnbow said hazing may not be a significant problem on campus, but some instances of hazing do occur.
"It's not so much a problem as something that happens more than it should … the fact that it happens at all is too much," Turnbow said. "Any initiative that can help put a stop to any hazing happening anywhere on this campus or on those surrounding us is a good one."
In order to better identify what is really going on, the program has been broken down into three different subcategories: subtle hazing, harassment hazing, and violent hazing. Subtle hazing is the most difficult to identify because "these types of hazing are often taken-for-granted or accepted as ‘harmless' or meaningless," according to Wolfe.
Wolfe said members of an organization may feel as though the subtle hazing is a rite of passage or that they must participate because it is tradition.
"Even if you agree to participate, it's still hazing," Wolfe said. "Consent is not the end-all-be-all."
Wolfe said harassment hazing is easier to identify, with offenses ranging from sleep deprivation to public nudity, verbal abuse to damaging property. He said any act that causes emotional anguish or physical discomfort can constitute harassment hazing.
"When you have the new members lined up and you're yelling at them, you don't know what kind of damage you're causing," Wolfe said. "You don't know what they've experienced in the past."
Finally, he said violent hazing involves exactly that: violence. Whether it be physical, emotion, or psychological, violent hazing is anything that could potentially cause harm.
"There was one instance where new members were instructed to kidnap upperclassmen," Wolfe said. "Hogtied and everything."
Wolfe said the dangers of hazing can extend to every corner within an organization.
Turnbow said that the Fresh Start initiative will benefit the greek community as well as the entire campus.
"Even something small like putting signs up around campus is something that can help," Turnbow said. "Though this is not just for our campus. We are trying to also set an example for other schools to know that we do not approve of hazing."
Wolfe said challenges arise in convincing the organizations to come forward. Since the Fresh Start Program was implemented, only a few have come forward and admitted their wrongdoings while a greater number of others have been investigated for hazing.
"Hazing is illegal in Indiana," Wolfe said. "If we find out that an organization is hazing before they come forward, the opportunity to come clean is gone."
Wolfe said a person coming forward with information on hazing is not uncommon.
"If friends or family members see this going on, they will come forward and say something," Wolfe said. "A lot of the time they'll become a sort of advocate for them.
The Fresh Start Program is exactly that: a fresh start. A clean slate for those who desire change and are ready to tackle the source of the problem, Wolfe said.
"The premise of the Fresh Start Program is simple: ultimately, everyone comes to the table and agrees that they do not want to cause harm to each other," Wolfe said. "There is no judgment, just moving forward."