How have student associations changed their hazing practices?
After several sexism and violence incidents at fraternities, subsections of a student association, ASC lost their annual grant from the UvA, VU and HvA in 2021 and L.A.N.X. and SSRA in 2023. Since then, they have greatly modified their hazing practices. “The taboo on certain topics has really been broken.”
Last week they appeared again: hordes of cycling freshmen in black t-shirts and sturdy shoes. Hazing, or introductory time as the associations themselves call the period, has started again. Last weeks, both the Amsterdam Student Corps (ASC) and second largest student association L.A.N.X. hosted the association-wide introductory period. Next Wednesday, the ASC’s fraternities’ hazing periods begin. On the weekends of September and October, the L.A.N.X. fraternities’ hazing period takes place. At SSRA, the association-wide hazing takes place in October, and several fraternities’ hazing periods start in the following weeks. “The climate is really changing,” notes SSRA president Jonathan Henry in this regard.
Henry received a report of an incident at a fraternities’ hazing period with a ‘threatening and intimidating atmosphere’ in 2023. A day later, as required by the code that associations agree with educational institutions, the SSRA board informed the Amsterdam educational institutions. Following the incident, the educational institutions (UvA, VU and HvA) suspended ties with the student union for a year.
Extra checks
Last year, the SSRA fraternity that was reported was disbanded following a near-unanimous decision by the other SSRA members. In addition, the SSRA guidelines were adjusted after an external investigation. “We filled several gaps in our hazing guidelines, which we really should have done before,” Henry agrees. “But if you never hit your head, you don’t have to budge.”
From this year onwards, therefore, regular, individual assessment meetings between the SSRA board and the 100 or so freshmen will take place to become aware of incidents earlier. To its delight, the association does have official ties with educational institutions again this year. “We are a small association that depends on promotion at university venues for new members.”
Last year, L.A.N.X. fraternity Ares was also discredited because prospective members had been given assignments such as ‘fuck a bucket (woman, ed.) in an alley’ and ‘get it on with a refugee’ during a 2022 hazing abroad. Since then, the association has embarked on a hefty culture change, informs L.A.N.X. president Luc Koerts. In the fraternities’ hazing period itself, there is a stricter enforcement of the rules by the board, the senate. Fraternities must also have assignments in their hazing sessions approved by the L.A.N.X. senate and periods abroad are banned. “The fraternities are tremendously regaining trust with us. We see that there is continuous talk about misogyny, for instance. The taboo on such topics has really been largely broken,” Koerts explains.
Amsterdamsch Studentencorps
Strict controls on enforcement to existing rules, such as no physical violence and adequate sleep and food, have also been introduced at the ASC, and fraternities must always discuss their assignments with the corps board first. “The adjustments were made on the advice of law firm De Roos & Pen, which conducted an external investigation into our hazing practices,” explained ASC senator Nina Liesker. That investigation concluded that male freshmen were structurally subjected to physical violence at disco hazing events.
Since the summer of 2022, this also means that newcomers, so-called ‘novices’, to the corps no longer sleep at dispute houses. From around 21.00h, the hazing members return to a rented sport’s hall where they sleep together, refuel and reflect quietly. In addition, new members may only be hazed by those approved by the senate, rather than the entire fraternity. Nor may they be taken separately from their other freshmen in the fraternity by the approved hazing officers. Moreover, an overseer from the board of another fraternity as well as from the association board is continuously present at all the fraternity houses.
Incidents or the concealment of possible incidents can lead to severe consequences, including expulsion, for all those involved. In 2024, these rules will be no different. “And we like that,” states ASC board member Liesker. “The association-wide hazing already went flawlessly again.”
New culture
The adjustments to the ASC hazing followed the announcement in 2021 that for years, serious incidents of violence took place at almost all male disputes in the corps. In 2021, the hazing sessions were even stopped prematurely. “The assault was on the agenda, so to speak,” stated then ASC rector Sebastiaan Klaver in Trouw last year.
The ASC lost its scholarship and ties with academic institutions (and, like L.A.N.X., did not yet get them back) and offered large-scale apologies to all abused prospective members. There followed hefty suspensions for fraternity members and even expulsion for some. As a whole, the association’s new board committed to a comprehensive culture change. “Slowly we see that almost all new members think differently about what an introductory period should entail. We hear this for example at the ALV and at the dialogue sessions, smaller-scale discussions with members of different disputes,” says an optimistic Liesker. “As of 2022, no students have entered at all who experienced the old introduction times.”
But such a culture change takes time, her L.A.N.X. colleague Koerts also stresses. “Although we have already seen a considerable effect within a year. Members dare to address each other about behaviour much more, also within the focus groups we set up for the culture change.”
SSRA president Henry notices that his association is new to this. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the hazing period still needs a bit of trimming in the future.” Henry expects enough freshmen and current members, as well as the outside world, to be critical of the association following last year. According to the SSRA executive, it will lead to the necessary reflection. ASC senator Liesker also notices that such conversations with members are starting to bear fruit. “Fortunately, there have been completely no incidents in the hazing period now for three years.”
The future
The three associations want to keep the adjustments at least for a while yet. “Only when there is enough social control can we start reducing overseers, for example,” Liesker thinks. According to her, then at least every active member (first- to fifth-year members) should be hazed within the new-style introductory period, which would keep the exact same rules in force at least until 2026.
The associations additionally meet in self-organised events at the Amsterdam Chamber of Associations (AKvV), where they discuss improvements. For instance, following the example of the ASC, L.A.N.X. instituted mandatory, internal confidential counsellors at all fraternities. SSRA also learns a lot from the experiences, such as with the media, of the larger associations. Praeses Henry would like to see that, as with ASC and L.A.N.X., the measures implemented remain in place for years to come, and the conversation remains open. “We want to move with the times.”
Last weekend, ASC’s novices, including Princess Amalia, ran ‘fleurtijd’, during which they looked for a fraternity or sorority that suits them. These days, the novices of L.A.N.X. enter a similar period. SSRA hopes to recruit new members in the first weeks of the academic year. Following that, they will be hazed in the new style: their black t-shirts must not get dirty, their sturdy shoes will probably survive the hazing this time. “The essence of the introductory time is simply getting to know all the histories, traditions, customs of the fraternities,” says L.A.N.X. president Koers. ASC board member Liesker adds: “We can now facilitate a safe and educational introduction time for them. Getting to know the fraternity, each other and themselves too.”
