Campuses and KD chapters across the country will recognize National Hazing Prevention Week Sept. 20-25, 2020, created by opens in a new windowhazingprevention.org, with activities and events, many of them virtual. We encourage you to participate!

Consider joining the Anti-Hazing Coalition’s live nationwide presentation and discussion featuring the parents of students who died as a result of hazing. They will share their sons’ sotires and provide action steps students can take. The program will also include a Q&A with the parents. to kick off National Hazing Prevention Week on This free online presentation will take place Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, at 7 p.m. EDT/6 p.m. CDT and will be streamed live by the AHC and on Kappa Delta’s opens in a new windowFacebook to allow members to take part in important hazing prevention education in a safe, virtual setting. For more information and to register, please click opens in a new windowhere.

During Hazing Prevention Week, we can reaffirm our commitment to living our values and the agreement we made when joining Kappa Delta that we would not participate in hazing of any kind. We joined KD for friendship, sisterhood, confidence, memories and experiences that would positively impact us for a lifetime.

Blindfolds, forced drinking and paddles are certainly hazing. But here’s the thing: There are small, more subtle actions that we might consider harmless that can be destructive to our friends as well as our sisterhood. Kappa Delta takes a strong stand against all forms of hazing—the obvious and the more subtle forms. Watch for and speak out against all the behaviors that cause harm to others.

Hazing is never OK. It can include bullying or mean-girl behavior, requiring younger new-member classes to do undesirable tasks, pressuring a new member to drink alcohol, and any other action that involves using power over someone else in a harmful or degrading way.

It’s important to remember hazing can show up throughout our lives in a variety of places. Hazing can happen on teams, in other organizations, in the workplace, and even online. Regardless of the environment you’re in, be aware of the activities happening around you and lead the charge on making a change.

Every activity or interaction we have with another sister, friend or coworker should be based on mutual respect and a desire to build the person’s confidence. If something doesn’t fit that qualification, it’s time to reassess.

This National Hazing Prevention Week, do your part to stand up against hazing by calling out any type of bullying behavior and by setting a positive example of confidence, sisterhood and respect. Be sure to look for the NHPW activities happening on your campus and across social media.

To learn more about the similarities and differences in bullying and hazing and why neither is acceptable, check out this post from HazingPrevention.Org. You can also take the pledge against hazing opens in a new windowhere.