Some ​​people believe hazing is an effective way to build loyalty within an organization, to uphold tradition, or to form lasting connections with others. In reality, hazing rarely—if ever—achieves these outcomes without also posing threat​​s to​​ physical or psychological safety and well-being.  

In fact, 84% of Cornell students believe hazing negatively impacts student health and well-being at Cornell.
(Source: Spring 2025 CUE Survey n = 2,148; 18% response rate)

​​Risks to individual students and/or the group​​ can undermine the supposed positive goals of hazing. However, there are lots of creative ways to build a group or team culture without harm. This page provides ideas, information, and resources about healthy team building activities​ for use by​ leaders of student groups, teams, and organizations. 

Leading with Values 

Many organizations at Cornell are “value-based organizations” — founded upon a specific set of values or morals that speak to positivity, betterment, and support. It’s worth considering, then, whether one’s actions (and the group’s actions) align with the values or morals upon which the organization was founded.

72% of Cornell students consider a groups history of hazing when deciding whether or not to join the group.
(Source: Spring 2025 CUE Survey n = 2,148; 18% response rate)

Sometimes, members of groups that haze say one of the biggest barriers to changing current practices is they don’t know what else they could do to accomplish their goals. So, it’s often the case that people are willing to change but need ​help​ imagin​ing​ what might be possible.  

When working to develop a new series of healthy group or team-building activities to replace hazing, some leaders say it’s important that the alternatives retain elements of challenge or intensity. The group may also need to incorporate new non-hazing strategies for holding new and existing members accountable to the expectations of the group.  

If your goals are to increase group unity, promote individual and organizational growth, instill positive values, and protect the group, consider using some of these alternative activities to promote healthy group bonding. 

Positive Strategies for Successful Groups

A sense of both group affiliation and individual accomplishment are important for group success throughout society. Many businesses, for example, invest considerable resources to foster effective group dynamics and enhance individual and group engagement. And they generally do so through positive, encouraging strategies that build people up rather than tearing them down.

Did you know? Research shows that for a team to be successful, the most important thing is for members to feel comfortable and connected. In fact, psychological safety is the top need for a high-performing team. According to Forbes, the top five elements of a high-performing team are:  

1. Psychological safety
2. Shared purpose and goals
3. Complementary skills
4. Mutual accountability
5. Effective communication 

Imagine this: What would you do? 

Imagine you were part of a student organization at Cornell that meant a lot to you, and while there were some things you didn’t like about its new member process, you also thought there were positive outcomes from the hazing activities you participated in.  

Now imagine you have graduated from Cornell and are in your first full-time professional job. At a staff meeting, your new boss asks for your suggestions on how to strengthen the team dynamic. What would you suggest?  

• Would the new member activities you experienced when joining a group/organization/team at Cornell be something you would be proud to share and experience again in this new job?  
• Would you feel comfortable telling your new boss that in order to create a high-performing and unified team, you should consider treating your new colleagues the way you were treated during your college group’s new member process?  
• Wouldn’t it be better if you could draw from a set of constructive, healthy, and effective team-building strategies that you learned as a member or leader of a group while in college? 

Case study: Is this hazing? 

Context matters. Some activities can be considered hazing depending on the context in which they occur. For example, imagine your group is planning a road trip.  

Road trips can be a fun way to promote group bonding and are not inherently a form of hazing. However, depending on how the road trip is organized and conducted, it could become hazing.  

Read the two scenarios below and consider: 

• How would you feel if you were in Scenario A?  
• How would you feel if you were in Scenario B?  
• Which of these scenarios would you prefer to participate in?  

Answer: In this example, Scenario A is a road trip that has elements that make it a form of hazing and Scenario B is an example of a road trip that is a healthy group bonding activity without hazing.  

If your organization is planning on taking new members on a road trip, consider the following:

• Do the participants know they are going on a road trip? If the answer is no, something is wrong. New members should have ample notice to prepare for a trip. They also should be able to opt out if they are unable to attend, without fear of consequences  
• Do participants know where they are going? If the answer is no, that’s a problem; they must be told the destination. No blindfolds should be involved. Everyone should have a comfortable and safe seat in the vehicle – (i.e., not in the trunk).
• What’s the feeling among the participants? Strive to cultivate a respectful dynamic that includes all new members. Consider the difference between yelling or barking orders at participants vs. singing together to fun throwbacks.  

Remember, people are unique individuals with different lived experiences. Everyone perceives and interprets things differently. Therefore, an activity that is fun for one person could be experienced negatively by another. It is important to consider multiple perspectives and stakeholders when designing activities for your new members.   

Group bonding (non-hazing) Activities 

Consider using activities from the list of group-building suggestions below to help achieve the desired outcomes for new and current members of your group, team, or organization.  

Important considerations