Surveys Conducted by Dr. Susan Lipkins
Survey: Coaches
- 98% of respondents agree that the coach is often a father figure to the athlete.
- 98% of respondents agree that coaches have a lot of power.
Coaches acknowledge that they act as father/mother figures to their teams, and that they have a lot of power. If coaches firmly communicate their no-nonsense position on hazing in any form, I believe that hazing can and will be reduced.
- 50% of respondents agree that there have been hazings in my community.
- 25% of respondents were involved in hazing when they were younger.
One half of these coaches acknowledge that hazing occurs in their community and a quarter of the coaches admit that they were involved in hazing when they were younger. I believe that it is often difficult for coaches and others, to see hazing as wrong since they themselves lived through it, and perhaps valued it. Some coaches may feel hypocritical to outlaw something that they consider important; and therefore they may view anti-hazing policies as another politically correct requirement. Under such conditions the coaches say "no hazing" but their non-verbal communication is "it's ok to haze." This mixed message is rarely addressed, yet carries much significance.