Monday, Sept. 23 marked the beginning of National Hazing Prevention Week, which annually falls during the last full week of September. Hazing awareness and prevention are crucial for building a safer Villanova community. As stated on the University website and in the student handbook, hazing is any means of intentional, knowing or reckless action or situation that, for purposes of initiation or admission into or affiliation with an organization or as a condition for continued or enhanced membership in an organization, endangers the mental or physical health, safety, well-being or dignity of an individual, or destroys or removes public or private property. Villanova students are encouraged to advocate and enforce hazing prevention and bring awareness of hazing’s detrimental impacts to both physical and mental health.
There are a multitude of practices that the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life (OFSL) partake in to support hazing prevention.
“We promote the model from the Hazing Prevention Network –Know the 4 Smart Steps to Staying Safe: 1. Assess the situation, 2. Speak out, 3. Remove yourself safety, 4. Report,” Anthony Ciliberto, Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, and Sarah Hernandez, Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life, said. “We take a multi-faceted approach to hazing prevention and response through passive and active programming, strategic communication and marketing and assessment.”
Each semester, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life enact training that all members of Greek life must complete. Some current resources that the office participates in include bystander intervention training, community connection conversations, collection of new member plans from chapters and various surveys that ensure the health and safety of all Greek life members.
