This review summarizes traumatic injuries associated with hazing. Recognizing these injuries in hazing victims presenting to Emergency Departments (EDs) is challenging. Recognizing the injury patterns will aid in identifying, reporting and treating these patients more effectively.

There remains a dearth of literature on this topic within the last 5 years and beyond. This review utilizes older reviews and the author’s own personal observations, approaches, and views as a practicing emergency medicine physician. Recent laws mandating reporting of hazing incidents on college campuses and media coverage raise awareness of this serious problem.

Hazing results in numerous and varied injuries to victims. These victims are seen in emergency departments for treatment of a wide range of presenting problems and diagnoses. This review categorized hazing trauma into physical, psychological, deprivation, and intoxication injuries. The interplay between injury types is important to recognize.