Allan interviewed for Dayton Daily News article on normalization of hazing
The interviewed Elizabeth Allan, a professor of higher education at the University of Maine, for an article on the normalization of hazing. 鈥淵ou hear people rationalize it or dismiss it or minimize it, saying, 鈥極h, no, no, that wasn鈥檛 hazing, that was just an initiation, or that was just a tradition, or that was just for bonding,鈥欌 said Allan. Hazing and the laws surrounding it have drawn more attention in light of recent events including the death of a fraternity pledge at Pennsylvania State University and lawsuits against the University of Dayton and the University of Toledo, the article states. Allan, who has been the lead investigator in studies on hazing and has testified in Congress on the issue, told the Dayton Daily News that hazing is widespread and that harmful incidents often go beyond coverage of the law. Ohio鈥檚 state law classifies hazing as an 鈥渋nitiation鈥 activity, according to the Dayton Daily News. 鈥淭he definition of hazing is not just to gain membership into a group, but it鈥檚 also to maintain one鈥檚 membership. The state laws are very uneven across the board,鈥 said Allan. 鈥淲hen you have a law or policy, it鈥檚 important, but it鈥檚 not enough. There鈥檚 just a lot of work to be done to really sharpen the awareness of the general public, of the parents whose kids are going to school, of educators.鈥