Universities need to take different approach to end hazing, expert says

Morning North9:48Hazing and sports

Five members of the Laurentian University men's basketball team have been suspended for allegedly taking part in a hazing incident. We spoke to a professor who's been researching hazing in Canada for 20 years and how the problem continues.

As Laurentian University in Sudbury continues hearings to determine the fate of five basketball playersaccused of violating the Athlete Code of Conduct, a researcher who studies hazing in varsity sports says having a code of conduct to address the issue isn't enough.

Marge Holman is a professor emeritus in the faculty of human kinetics at the University of Windsor. She's co-author of a book called "Making the team: Inside the World of Sport Hazing and Initiations."

"Generally speaking, [hazing] any behaviour that it abusive in both sexual and non-sexual ways, that is degrading, humiliating [or] threatening to the athletes," she said.

It's not publically known that the Laurentian basketball players are accused of doing.

The university has confirmed the players were suspended following an investigation into the Athlete Code of Conduct.

The students have issued a statement through a lawyer, saying they attended a team party which was "an opportunity to engage off the court with those of our teammates who chose to attend." The statement goes on to say there was no coercion, no one was injured and no one raised a complaint with the university.

Hazing creates 'animosity'

Holman says she started coaching 40 years ago, and she's seen several examples of hazing in that time.

She said she attended rookie parties of the students she coached and said she initially saw harmless activities taking place, such as scavenger hunts.

"And then one year it escalated to the point where they blindfolded the athletes and they put marshmallows in the toilet bowl and washed their hair in the toilet bowl," she said.

"I found that a little bit offensive, especially seeing the reaction from the athletes and seeing the athletes fighting it and not wanting to do it."

She said she spoke out when some members of a men's team showed up with shaved heads and eyebrows. At that point, she told the players for the behaviour to stop and said if it didn't, she would hold try-outs again and the current players wouldn't make the team.

Holman said almost every university has a policy on hazing, but despite that, she said policies aren't the answer to address the issue.

"We need to address the behaviours and the expectations," she said.

Holman also said athletes need to be told hazing does not contribute to team bonding.

"Often, [hazing] creates a lot of animosity," she said. "I had one athlete tell me, who was now an alumnus, after the hazing he had to go through, he hated the veterans and hates them to this day. And this was about 20 years later."