Understanding Your Options
If you have been hazed, have witnessed hazing, or suspect that someone you know has been hazed, you have options about how you can report to university officials.
- If you would like to report your experience to the Center for Student Conduct, you can submit an online report. Please reference the “What happens after your report is received” section below to learn more about the process.
- You can also submit a report to the Berkeley University of California Police (UCPD).
- If an employee of UC Berkeley is perpetuating hazing, you can also reach out to Employee & Labor Relations and report your experience.
While individuals may withhold their name or other identifying information when reporting hazing, the university’s ability to respond to reports without a named reporting party will be significantly limited. In all cases, the identity of all reporters will be kept private to the greatest extent possible.
**Please note that all reporting options on this page do not trigger an immediate response. If you are in immediate danger, please call UCPD at (510) 642-3333 or 9-1-1**
If you are still processing your experience and aren’t sure what you would like to do next, we encourage you to reach out to the Ombuds Office for Students & Postdoctoral Appointees. The Ombuds is a confidential office that can assist you with sorting through this situation and share more about what options are available for you. You can reach the Ombuds at 510-642-5754 to schedule an appointment or simply ask more about how they might be of assistance. Our resources page has a more comprehensive list of confidential and non-confidential resources.
What to Include in Your Report
The University’s ability to investigate reports and enforce its policies depend on the accuracy and specificity of the information provided. You are encouraged to provide as much specific detail as possible so that appropriate action can be taken to address the reported behavior. As a starting point, we recommend including the following:
- Who: names of people and/or organizations involved
- When: dates and times that you can recall
- Where: location of the incident(s) (please be as specific as possible, including addresses, houses, areas of campus, etc.)
- What: a specific description of what you observed or experienced and any supporting documentation you would like to share, such as pictures, videos, emails or text messages.
What happens after your report is received by the Center for Student Conduct?
If you submit a report to the Center for Student Conduct you can expect to receive outreach within a few days. They will set up a conversation around your schedule and any time constraints you might have. In this conversation, they will share information about possible next steps, what participation may look like, and answer any questions that you have.
The university’s response to a report varies depending on the type of behavior reported, the severity of the behavior, and the immediate threat to the health and safety of other community members.
Students who choose to report hazing to the Center for Student Conduct, and who fully participate in the conduct process, may not be held accountable or may have mitigated sanctions in relation to a Student Code of Conduct violation if they have been involved in hazing acts. Students will have their willing engagement taken into consideration during the conduct process and sanctioning phase, if applicable.
Students should know that hazing is illegal in the state of California and that this process does not apply to any criminal or civil action that may be taken by a law enforcement or other agency, including University Police.
- Individuals who witness hazing within an organization of which they are a member and who truthfully report the activities may not be individually charged for the violation of hazing.
- Individuals who have reasonable cause to believe hazing has or will occur within an organization of which they are part and who truthfully report the activities to the Center for Student Conduct may not be individually charged for the violation of hazing.
- Individuals who have directly engaged or participated in the directing, planning, or enactment of hazing and who truthfully report the activities may still be charged with policy violations; however, they may have their sanctions mitigated through the conduct process provided they fully and truthfully participate in the conduct process.
In order to ensure that we have the most holistic and meaningful response possible, a team of campus partners is brought together to assess next steps once a report is received. Some of these campus partners could include:
- Organizational Advising & Student Involvement Services (OASIS)
- Dean of Students Office
- Center for Support and Intervention
- Haas School of Business
- Cal Athletics
- Berkeley Recreation & Wellbeing
- Berkeley Residential Life
- University Health Services
- PATH to Care
- Fraternity & Sorority Life
You can learn more about policies and procedures related to hazing at the policies and procedures page. Navigate to the how to help someone experiencing hazing page and our resources page to learn more about how to help a friend or loved one experiencing hazing.