Hazing is a form of initiation ceremony which is used to induct newcomers into an organization such as a private school, sports team, fraternity, or sorority. There are a number of different forms of hazing, from relatively mild ritual forms to severe and sometimes violent hazing ceremonies. Due to concerns about the safety of hazing, many organizations have specifically banned this practice, although hazing bans are very irregularly enforced.
Some organizations pass down venerable hazing traditions, while others develop their own. The potential dangers of hazing can be both physical and psychological. In sororities, for example, a common hazing practice involves ordering new pledges to strip to their underwear so that they can be judged by older sorority members, which may be humiliating or dangerous for women who are struggling with body image issues. Hazing challenges in which people are dared to drink large amounts of alcohol or to engage in dangerous physical stunts can also be very risky, and in some cases, deadly.