In light of the hazing lawsuits that have rocked the athletics department at Northwestern University, WBBM's Rob Hart asked three experts for the best ways parents can keep their kids safe.
The experts included Dr. Lisa Stephen, professional coach for women and mothers and owner of IGNITE Peak Performance; Dr. Elizabeth Allan, a professor and program coordinator at the University of Maine; and Dr. Susan Lipkins, a psychologist and author specializing in hazing and bullying prevention.
Allan explains that hazing is not just what people see in the headlines - on college campuses or in a sporting group. Hazing can occur within marching bands, theater groups and even in academic groups, and it doesn't need to involve alcohol or sexual abuse.
"The definition of hazing - that we use, that is a general foundational definition - is that it's any activity expected of someone participating in a group that humiliates, abuses or potentially endangers them regardless of their willingness to participate," says Allan.
Parents should be on the lookout for sleep deprivation, withdrawal from friends and family and/or changes in previous interests as all of these could be signs of hazing, Allan continues.
When parents believe that their child is being hazed, they need to reflect on their own opinions and feelings of hazing and the situation. After self-reflection, Stephen explains that parents need to communicate with their child it's normal for their child to want to belong to a group, explain the facts of hazing and talk through a concrete plan of steps to follow if the child was in that situation.
Watch the full video discussion for more insight on how social media has changed the narrative, how universities can battle this issue and more.
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