Allan speaks with Chicago Tribune for report on hazing policies
Elizabeth Allan, a professor of higher education at the University of Maine, was interviewed by Chicago Tribune for the article, “Putting an end to hazing takes more than written policies, experts say.” Written policies that strictly ban hazing at schools do little to prevent hazing unless paired with meaningful action to create a culture of respect and equality, according to experts. “My experience is that the policy doesn’t communicate clearly enough about why (an anti-hazing mindset) is needed,” said Allan, who researches hazing and trains college staffers on how to prevent it. She collaborated with the Clery Center, a nonprofit organization that promotes campus safety, on a hazing prevention guide. It advises schools to communicate anti-hazing messages from top officials, conduct trainings for student leaders and promote “bystander intervention” to disrupt unsafe behavior, the article states. “Those things don’t take a ton of effort, and I think they could yield some real gains based on what we know from the data,” Allan said.