A person who participates in hazing, which is the practice of subjecting someone to harsh or humiliating treatment, especially as an initiation ritual.
From the verb 'haze' (to bully or harass, origin unclear but possibly from Old French 'haser' meaning to harass) plus the agent suffix '-er', forming a noun for one who hazes.
Hazing has been documented in military academies and fraternities for centuries, but modern psychology has shown it actually damages group cohesion rather than building it—making 'hazers' inadvertently working against their own goals.
Hazers (those conducting hazing) are statistically more often men in military and fraternal contexts; the gendered power hierarchy embedded in these institutions shapes who initiates and who is targeted.
When discussing hazing, specify the gender composition and power dynamics of perpetrators and targets; avoid neutral language that obscures gendered harm patterns.
["perpetrator of abuse","person conducting hazing"]
Women hazers exist but are fewer; their presence sometimes enabled institutional hazing cultures. Documenting all voices in reform efforts is important.
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