Sport is usually viewed as a positive activity for children and youths and it has a long tradition of fostering values that are sought after. However, sport is not good in itself, and David (2005) states that "Sports is a long-standing reality, neither good nor bad. It is a social process involving children and adolescents in which adults need to enforce proper safeguards to prevent systematic patterns of abuse and exploitation". In that case, sport also has the potential to be less valuable and the occurence of hazing is one such example. Hazing is seen as any activity expected of someone joining a group that humiliates, degrades, abuses or endangers the newcomer, regardless of the person’s willingness to participate. This does not include activities such as rookies carrying the balls, team parties with community games, or going out with team-mates, unless an atmosphere of humiliation, degradation, abuse or danger arises. (Hoover 1999; David 2005)

The aim of the study was to examine the experience of hazing in sports among young athletes and sports students. Questions posed were (1) To what extent do young athletes and sports student have experiences of hazing? (2) How does hazing work? (3) What are the characteristics of the described experiences? (4) What do young athletes and sports students think about hazing? (5) To what extent has young athletes and sports students heard about hazing? By answering these questions we want to discuss why hazing are reproduced within the sporting context.

The theoretical framwork is inspired by the french sociologist Pierre Bourdieu. Some of his tools were used to analyze the reprodication of hazing in sport, especially symbolic violence (or power). Symbolic power is that invisible power which can be exercised only with the complicity of those who do not want to know that they are subjected to it or even that they themselves exercise it (Bourdieu 1992, s. 164).

Bourdieu, P. & Wacquant, JD. (1992). An invitation to reflexive sociology. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press. David, P. (2005). Human Rights in Youth Sport – A Critical Review of Children’s Rights in Competitive Sports. New York: Routledge. Hoover, N. & Pollard, N. (1999). Initation Rites and Athletics: A National Survey of NCAA Sports Teams. Alfred University and Reidman Insurance Co. Inc.