Running Head: HAZING BEHAVIOR Applying the Rasch Model to Explore New College Sorority and Fraternity Members' Perceptions of Hazing Behavior

On today’s college campus hazing presents a threat to the safety and well-being of all incoming freshman. Allen and Madden (2008) presented results from their National Study on Student Hazing showing that 55%of students involved in a student organization, team or club while in college will experience hazing and 90 % of students who experience hazing do not believe that they have been hazed. This paper uses a modified instrument based on Allan and Madden’s research to collect data at a Southeastern, Research 1 University. Rasch modeling was used to analyze the data and the results support the findings that perceptions of hazing do not match definitions. Additionally real differences in the perception of hazing exist between male and female respondents