ORONO, Maine — New data from an online database co-developed by the University of Maine finds there has been an average of five hazing deaths per year in the United States since 2000.
According to the university, the database was also co-developed by HazingInfo.org, the University of Washington and award-winning journalist Hank Nuwer.
Hazing can include dangerous, humiliating or abusive acts that take place as part of joining a group.
Less than a week after the National Hazing Prevention Summit at UMaine, the school announced data on hazing deaths from the past 187 years is now available online for the first time.
“The hazing deaths database is invaluable as it illuminates the horrendous consequences of hazing for so many individuals, families, and communities,” said UMaine professor Elizabeth Allan, who leads the Hazing Prevention Research Lab in the UMaine College of Education and Human Development and is the founder of the research organization StopHazing. “The secrecy and silence that often surround hazing are barriers to change. Making the tragedies more visible to the public is a necessary step toward prevention,”
The interactive webpage is meant to honor the memories of those killed and call attention to the consequences of hazing.
According to the data, at least 333 young people have lost their lives to hazing in the U.S. since 1838, with 122 deaths recorded since 2000.
Visit hazinginfo.org to learn more.
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