Hazing also lowers the self esteem of students who participate in it. While some may see the initiation process as harmful and overall negative, others may push aside this fear to raise their self-esteem and confidence amongst their peers. Through studies however, it has been found that both men and women who experienced “severe” hazing activities were more likely to have an increased dependency on their fellow peers, feeling uncomfortable when left alone. Students were pressured to live up to certain standards set by others to feel good about themselves.
Acceptance in groups affects students’ self-esteem. The level of self-esteem impacts student misuse of alcohol, and other harmful things. Individuals who possess high levels of self-esteem consume less alcohol and experience fewer negative consequences than those with fragile self-esteem who relied on living up to certain standards in order to feel good about themselves.
