Every year since 1959 (with the lone exception of the pandemic year of 2020), at least one college student has died as a result of hazing by sports teams, Greek organizations, or other campus groups. On August 28, 2025, SciLine interviewed Dr. Pietro Sasso, an associate professor of education at Delaware State University to discuss hazing dangers.
TV bundle includes:
Soundbite (SOT)
VOSOT script (can be used as-is or modified)
Raw, full-length interview video & log with timecodes (upon request via form below)
These resources are free to use. No attribution to SciLine is required.
Click for VOSOT script (can be used as-is or modified)
ANCHOR WE’RE NOW LESS THAN A YEAR AWAY FROM A NEW FEDERAL LAW TAKING EFFECT… REQUIRING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO REPORT HAZING INCIDENTS.
VO IT’S CALLED THE STOP CAMPUS HAZING ACT… AND IT’S THE FIRST FEDERAL HAZING LAW.
IT REQUIRES COLLEGES TO INCLUDE HAZING INCIDENTS IN THEIR SAFETY REPORTS EACH YEAR… EDUCATE STUDENTS ABOUT THE DANGERS OF HAZING… AND MAKE ORGANIZATIONS FOLLOW PREVENTION POLICIES AND TRACK VIOLATIONS.
DOCTOR PIETRO SASSO… AN ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF EDUCATION AT DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY… SAYS HAZING OFTEN MAKES STUDENTS FEEL FORCED TO DO THINGS THEY’RE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH… TO FIT IN OR FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG.
HE SAYS BEYOND SAFETY CONCERNS… STUDENTS CAN ALSO STRUGGLE WITH DEPRESSION… ANXIETY… AND FALLING GRADES.
DOCTOR SASSO ENCOURAGES PARENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR THESE WARNING SIGNS.
SOT Duration: 0:56 Super: Dr. Pietro Sasso – Associate Professor, Delaware State University
“Changes in behavior, new schedule and routines, social media pauses or blackouts, hygiene changes, shortness in mood, like if they’re super moody, loss of friends like, like if their hemorrhaging friends and then all of a sudden they have a lot of new friends, and increased drinking is something that’s a major warning sign too. The other thing too is that’s another warning sign is just a general change in their overall personality, right? They like a lot of things. And when they like these things, they make connections to the group rather than themselves, right? So they become enmeshed in the group and it’s not like an individual thing. Like, oh, I don’t like Taylor Swift. We like Taylor swift, right. And so look for those little changes in their language.”
VO DOCTOR SASSO ADMITS STOPPING HAZING IS TOUGH.
STUDENTS GRADUATE… AND THE HAZING CULTURE CONSTANTLY SHIFTS EVERY FEW YEARS WITH A NEW INCOMING GROUP.
BUT HE SAYS EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF… LIKE LEADERSHIP TRAININGS OR WORKING CLOSELY TO REHABILITATE GROUPS THAT BREAK HAZING RULES… CAN HELP.
Raw, full-length interview covers:
Hazing basics, including what counts as hazing, which groups tend to do it, and trends in hazing behaviors over time;
Advice for how parents/guardians can talk to their children about hazing;
Research on the best strategies to prevent hazing;
Other, safer ways to induct new members to a group and build group cohesion;
An overview of the federal Stop Campus Hazing Act, which will go into effect next summer; and
Accountability for campus organizations that violate hazing policies or laws.
