Students Participate in StopHazing Training

Westminster School welcomed Training Specialist Angela Ging, M.Ed., from StopHazing to Gund Dining Room on February 19 to lead a “Hazing 101” workshop for the entire student body.

StopHazing is a leader in hazing research and data-driven strategies that support safe and welcoming school climates. The week before, the organization presented a virtual workshop—“Practicing Values-Based Leadership & Decision Making”—to student leaders, preparing them to guide peer group discussions during the “Hazing 101” presentation and later that day during Advisory Lunch.

Ging began the training with an online quiz about hazing, provided a definition of what constitutes hazing, and explained the Spectrum of Hazing model, which outlines the three categories of behavior—intimidation, harassment, and violence—and highlights the inverse relationship between how frequently behaviors occur and how readily they are recognized.

For practical tools students could use beyond the presentation, Ging introduced bystander intervention. Bystander intervention is a five-step process that culminates in taking action. She outlined strategies such as confrontation, shifting the focus, and addressing underlying attitudes.

Ging shared, “When we expand our understanding of the problem of hazing to include the larger community and not just a select group of individuals, we expand the possibilities of solutions to that problem.” Through interactive exercises, role-playing, and group discussions during both the morning program and Advisory Lunch, students connected with one another, considered different perspectives, and examined the potential impact of hazing behaviors on their community and beyond.