TREATMENT OF PERSONS

(HAZING AND BULLYING)

SFC Glick
SSG Stohel

HHB Equal Opportunity Representatives

OVERVIEW
 Definitions
 What is hazing and bullying?
 Why is hazing a problem?
 Examples
 What is not considered hazing or bullying?
 Barriers to eliminating hazing
 Command and Individual responsibilities
 Possible solutions
Hazing Definition
 Any conduct whereby a servicemember or other
individual regardless of service, rank, or positions, and
without proper authority, recklessly, or intentionally
causes a servicemember to suffer or be exposed to any
activity that is cruel, abusive, humiliating, oppressive,
demeaning, or harmful.
 Soliciting or coercing another to participate in any of
these activities is also considered hazing.
 Hazing need not involve physical contact among or
between military members or employees and can be
verbal or psychological in nature
Hazing Definition
 Hazing need not be committed in the physical presence
of the victim; it may be committed through written or
phone messages, text messages, email, social media, or
any other virtual or electronic medium.
 Actual or implied consent to acts of hazing does not
eliminate the culpability of the perpetrator.
 Hazing typically stops at an identified end- point
without outside intervention.
Bullying Definition
 Bullying is any conduct whereby a servicemember or
other individual regardless of service, rank, or position,
intends to exclude or reject another servicemember
through cruel, abusive, humiliating, oppressive,
demeaning, or harmful behavior, which results in
diminishing the other servicemember’s dignity, position,
or status.
Bullying Definition
 Without outside intervention, bullying will typically
continue without any identifiable end-point.

 Bullying tactics include, but are not limited to, making

threats, spreading rumors, social isolation, and attacking
someone physically, verbally, or through the use of
electronic media.

 Bullying may also include an abuse of authority

What Constitutes Hazing and Bullying
 Can be both physical and nonphysical
interactions

 Are not limited to superior-subordinate relationships

 May occur between peers or even in certain situations
may involve actions directed towards senior personnel by
those junior in rank
What is Hazing
 Hazing is usually tied to organizational initiation rituals
or promotions, can be both physical and mental

 Often occurs in "elite" military units, and much of it is

psychological and directed at newcomers

 Hazing could be rationalized as necessary for one to

become "hardened" or "inoculated" for the rigors of
combat
Types of Hazing
 Subtle Hazing
 Ridicule, embarrassment, and/or humiliation
 Deception, silence periods, socially isolating new
members, line-ups and drills, name calling, identified
with demeaning terms
 Harassment Hazing
 Behaviors that cause emotional anguish or physical
discomfort/confuses, frustrates, and causes undue stress
 Sleep deprivation, sexual simulations, verbal abuse,
threats or implied threats, degrading, crude, or
humiliating acts
Types of Hazing
 ViolentHazing
 Behaviors that have the potential to cause physical
and/or emotional, or psychological harm
 Forced or coerced alcohol or other drug consumption,
Beating, paddling, or other forms of assault, bondage,
public nudity
What is Bullying?
 Often takes the form of excessive corrective
measures that, like hazing involve the infliction of
physical or psychological pain and go beyond
what is required for authorized corrective training
What Hazing looks like
Why is hazing and bullying a problem
 They can be harmful on a number of levels and is often
related to the following detrimental outcomes:
 Physical harm and death
 Emotional harm
 Attrition
 Breading of mistrust among members
 Cultivation of a culture of abuse
 Bad press for individuals / organization
 Lawsuits and liability
Death from Hazing

Pvt. Danny Chen,

Chen suffered months of racially
motivated abuse at the hands of his
fellow soldiers in Afghanistan, and
on the day of his death he was forced
to crawl through gravel while other
soldiers threw rocks at him,
according to advocates who had been
briefed by military officials.
What does not constitute hazing or
bullying?
 When authorized by the chain of command and/or operationally
required, the following activities do not constitute hazing or
bullying:

 the physical and mental hardships associated with operations

or operational training

 lawful punishment imposed pursuant to the UCMJ

 administrativecorrective measures, including verbal

reprimands and command-authorized physical exercises
What does not constitute hazing or
bullying?
 extra military instruction or corrective training that is a
valid exercise of military authority needed to correct a
Soldier’s deficient performance in accordance with AR
600-20 para. 4–6

 physical training and remedial physical training

 other similar activities that are authorized by the chain

of command and conducted in accordance with this or
another applicable regulation
Barriers to eliminating hazing:
 Denial of the problem
 Dismissing hazing as harmless
 Silence
 Fear
 Insufficient support for victims of hazing
 Cultural norms that promote acceptance of hazing as
“normal”
Command Responsibilities
 Enforcement of this policy is the responsibility of
commanders and supervisors at all levels.
 Publish and post written command policy statements on
treatment of persons
 Conduct training
 All criminal hazing or bullying allegations that are
reported to a commander will be investigated as
possible violations of Article 92 of the UCMJ
Individual Responsibilities
 Advising the command of any incidents of hazing or
bullying.

 Treat all persons as they should be treated –with

dignity and respect.

 Servicemembers should report hazing or bullying to

their commander, law enforcement, or the Inspector
General.
Summary
 Definitions
 What is hazing and bullying?
 Why is hazing a problem?
 Examples
 What is not considered hazing or bullying?
 Barriers to eliminating hazing
 Command and Individual responsibilities
 Possible solutions
Questions
"Trust is the bedrock of our
profession. If we cannot stop
hazing each other, bullying
each other or calling each
other names, then how can we
trust each other as an
organization?"
-SGM Stewart
N G
(senior enlisted advisor for CAPE) ZI
H A