WASHINGTON, D.C. (WFXR) – To combat hazing on college campuses, U.S. and Virginian Senator Tim Kaine has cosponsored the Stop Campus Hazing Act, which will require colleges to file a report when incidents of hazing occur.
Specifically, the act would require colleges to:
- Include hazing incidents in their Annual Security (Clery) Report.
- Establish campus-wide, research-based hazing education and prevention programs for faculty, students, and families of students.
- Publish their institution’s hazing prevention policies and the organizations that have violated them online.
“Students should be able to join clubs and organizations on campus without putting their health, safety, and potentially their lives at risk,” said Kaine. “This bill would help keep college students safe by educating them and their family members about the dangers of hazing and provide them with the information they need to decide which college to attend and organizations to join.”
Since 2000, there have been more than 50 hazing-related deaths. Currently, there are no national reporting requirements for colleges or Universities to report hazing incidents. The National Study of Student Hazing found that more than half of college students involved in extracurricular activities, athletic activities, and organizations experience hazing.
This bipartisan legislation would also provide parents and students with better information about a college’s hazing prevention policies and the history of hazing.
