Prohibited Hazing Activities

Phi Sigma Pi prohibits any and all forms of hazing. These examples are merely illustrative of specific forbidden practices and are not intended to be all-inclusive. Please check with your Region Consultant to ensure all initiate activities are in accordance with Fraternity and Institution guidelines.

Mental Hazing

• Conducting activities which do not allow adequate time for study during the initiate period.
• Yelling, screaming, or directing negative comments at members or nonmembers.
• Deceiving new members prior to The Ritual designed to convince an initiate that he/she will not be initiated or will be harmed.
• Playing extremely loud music, repeated music, or any other audible harassment.
• Not permitting initiates to talk for any extended period of time or limit to whom and when they can talk.
• Requiring or encouraging nudity at any time.
• Intentionally creating clean-up work.
• Requiring initiates to run errands (servitude).
• Engagement in public stunts and buffoonery.
• Publicly wearing apparel which is conspicuous and not “normally” in good taste.
• Subjecting an individual to cruel or unusual psychological conditions for any reason.
• Individual and group interrogations such as “line ups”.
• Using any type of demerit system other than a positive evaluation program.
• Requiring initiates to greet members at all times or answer the telephone/door with a jingle, song, or specific verbal response.
• Any behavior which is sexist, racist, or demeans the religious beliefs of others.
• Never doing anything with the initiate.
• Referring to initiates using demeaning names (“kids”).
• Conducting activities which confuse, frustrate, or cause undue stress.

Physical Hazing

• Activities causing excessive physical fatigue.
• Forced calisthenics (sit-ups, push-ups, and runs).
• Conducting an initiate activity between the hours of midnight and 8 am or awakening individuals during these hours.
• Permitting less than seven continuous hours of sleep each night for initiates.
• Pushing, shoving, tackling, paddling, or any other act which may cause harm.
• Requiring initiates to drink alcohol or take any other substance such as drugs.
• Forced consumption of food or other substances.
• Branding or scarring of any kind.
• Throwing anything at or on an individual.
• Theft of any personal property under any circumstances.
• Assigning or endorsing “pranks” or harassing other organizations.
• Defacing public or private property.
• Kidnapping, transporting, and/or stranding anyone.
• Conducting scavenger/treasure hunts resulting in possible theft or disruption of others; searching for humiliating items.
• Carrying items which will interfere with daily activities.
• Denying initiates time for study or interfering with scholastic/extra-curricular activities/work in any way.
• Confinement in small, unventilated, unsanitary, or unlighted areas.
• Any activity without a constructive aspect or purpose.
• Allowing initiates to use only a particular door when entering or leaving any building or to use a certain stairway within a building.
• Blindfolding and parading individuals in public areas, blindfolding and transporting in a motor vehicle or privately conducting blindfolding activities that serve no constructive purpose.