Renée Matte, Ryan Hamilton

Although individuals who have participated in or perpetrated acts of hazing are well-suited to offer unique insights on the problem, one area that has seldom been investigated directly is their hazing judgments. Thus, this study aimed to address a gap in the literature by examining student-athletes’ definitions of hazing. The Canadian sample comprised 185 student-athletes representing 18 universities and 11 varsity sports. The findings revealed that many student-athletes have their own personal definition of hazing and that their views are influenced by their education on the topic and their past initiations and hazing experiences. Understanding hazing from the student-athletes’ perspective is important given that individuals are more likely to continue to participate in and perpetrate hazing activities that (1) do not meet their definition of hazing, (2) do not cross the line of what they judge to be acceptable initiation, and (3) they think have positive intentions and outcomes. Additional interpretations and implications of these findings for researchers, educators, policy makers, and practitioners as well as the study’s limitations and recommendations for future directions will be discussed.