Professor Jason Kilmer, PhD is co-author on a new report titled Charge for Change: Building Safer Campuses Now with Research-Informed Hazing Prevention.
 
The report provides high-impact, data-informed policies and evidence-based prevention strategies in response to the Stop All Campus Hazing Act — federal legislation passed in December 2024 that requires all colleges to create “research-informed” hazing prevention programs. Along with Dr. Kilmer, the effort was co-led by Stevan Veldkamp, EdD from Penn State University and Patrick Biddix, PhD from the University of Tennessee.
 
“Hazing is a public health challenge that overlaps with other behaviors, including high-risk alcohol use and other substance use,” said Dr. Kilmer “We are enthusiastic about the advancements in prevention science and the potential we have to significantly improve campus safety by addressing crucial issues such as hazing, high-risk drinking, and violence.”
 
The report aims to provide key stakeholders, including college administrators, policymakers, and organizational leaders, with the necessary tools to effectively combat high-risk hazing practices within campus communities and fraternities, sororities, student organizations, and athletic teams. Modeled after a report issued in 2002 by National Institute on Alcohol and Abuse and Alcoholism’s Task Force on College Drinking, the publication focuses on clarifying what research-informed hazing prevention entails and how campuses can more effectively implement and sustain prevention strategies.