Treatment of fourth class midshipmen hazing and its impact on academic and military performance and psychological and physical health

Abstract

In 1992, the General Accounting Office conducted a study at our Nation's service academies to determine the prevalence of hazing and its impact on psychological and physical health; and academic and military performance. Based on the literature it is theorized that the prevalence of hazing has changed. Furthermore, it is hypothesized that hazing will negatively impact both academic and military performance; and psychological and physical health. These hypotheses were tested using a series of cross tabulation analyses, Pearson-correlation coefficients, and multiple hierarchical regressions on population data, classes 2005 through 2008. Cross tabulation analyses measured the prevalence of 23-hazing behaviors for the sample population. Correlation coefficients measured the relationship between hazing and several performance and health outcomes. Finally, multiple hierarchical regression analyses assessed the impact of hazing experiences on academic and military performance; and psychological and physical health. The study concludes that hazing has declined in the past 12-years. Furthermore, hazing is correlated as hypothesized to all of the outcomes examined except for academic and military performance. Finally, regression analyses determined that hazing impacts psychological and physical health, but only partially impacts academic and military performance.