“Student rituals” are too often a cover for unacceptable abuse, according to research by the Observatory of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence in Higher Education, published on 16 September. Based on the testimonies of nearly 4,000 students who joined an establishment between 2022 and 2024, the study establishes that a third of them were victims or witnesses of at least one instance of sexist or sexual violence during a weekend, a festive evening or an integration sporting event. Only 5% of witnesses or victims subsequently reported the incident to their establishment.
In this survey, around 11% say they have been subjected to hazing, with the highest rate reaching 13.8% in schools and 15% in medical schools. Among these victims, 66.4% suffered humiliating practices, such as having dirty substances of all kinds thrown on them, having to eat disgusting or spicy food or even having their hair shaved off. Violent or degrading behaviour, such as trespassing,
in intimacy and non-consensual sexual acts, are reported by 4% of the victims.
In addition, 12.8% of respondents felt pressured to consume substances such as alcohol, illicit drugs or tobacco. “A significant minority reported being pressured to perform degrading or humiliating acts (6%) or acts with sexual connotations (2.6%)”details the investigation.
A “very strong tolerance”
“The persistence of tradition is one of the most frequently mentioned reasons to explain these practices.stresses Ludmila Henry, head of defence at the observatory. This is where power relations develop between the old and the new, but also between different social classes. » Despite its illegal nature since 1998, hazing still benefits from “very high tolerance”continues Ludmila Henry. Then, “One in five students believes that forcing someone to participate in an activity is not hazing” and a quarter consider that degrading jokes do not fall into this category either.
However, some students are cautious: a third have chosen not to take part in integration events, in particular because of alcohol or drug use. School management is more or less willing to put an end to these practices, as events are organised mostly outside their walls, stresses Ludmila Henry. In addition, “Integration weekends are part of the business of certain schools that would definitely not want to break with this culture and prefer to turn a blind eye.”
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