One in three worried about student initiation – new survey shows strong focus on alcohol

01.09.2025 - Two out of three students who have taken part in student initiation activities (nollning) feel that the events revolve around alcohol. One in three has worried about being humiliated or excluded if they do not participate. This is shown in IQ’s survey on initiation among young people aged 20–23.

The alcohol norm is strong in student life, and initiation activities are no exception according to IQ’s latest survey. Nearly nine out of ten (86 percent) confirm that alcohol was present at their initiation events, and two out of three students (66 percent) say that the activities even revolved around alcohol. More than half (54 percent) would appreciate less focus on alcohol during initiation.

“Alcohol’s strong presence in student life is nothing new, but since today’s young people drink less, the role of alcohol risks excluding more than before. Many may also feel pressured to drink, or to drink more than they actually want,” says Mojtaba Ghodsi, CEO of IQ.

Many feel worried ahead of initiation. Nearly one in three (32 percent) have feared being subjected to something humiliating, and almost one in four (23 percent) have worried about being pressured or forced to do something against their will. Two out of three (67 percent) believe that it is harder to fit in to student life if you want to go easy on alcohol.

“We see a clear concern among incoming students before initiation, and alcohol’s central role seems to be a contributing factor. My advice to organizers is to reflect on the role of alcohol so that the purpose of initiation is not lost – to welcome all new students and bond a new group together, including those who want to take it easy with alcohol,” says Mojtaba Ghodsi, CEO of IQ.

One in six (16 percent) have even skipped initiation activities out of fear that there would be too much drinking.

IQ’s three tips for a better initiation at universities and colleges

• Do not focus on alcohol. Arrange initiations that are attractive also for those who have chosen not to drink alcohol or who do not want to drink much.

• Make it easy to choose alcohol-free. Some do not drink alcohol at all, or do not want to drink much. There are also students who cannot handle alcohol. Make sure to offer social gatherings completely without alcohol and always have good alcohol-free drinks available at activities where alcohol is present.

• Do not nag about drinking. Respect if someone does not want to drink alcohol or does not want to drink much.

Nearly half of high school initiations have revolved around alcohol

IQ has also examined the experiences of younger people with initiation. Remarkably, two out of three (64 percent) aged 16–19 say that alcohol was present at their initiation. About as many (61 percent) also feel that there was an expectation that they should drink. Nearly half (48 percent) say that the initiation revolved around alcohol.

“At that age, we are talking about high school students. School administrations and student councils must take greater responsibility to ensure that high school initiations, where minors are involved, do not revolve around alcohol but instead around building group cohesion and making new friends,” says Mojtaba Ghodsi.

About the survey

The survey was carried out by Novus among 618 people aged 16–23 from Novus’s randomly recruited Sweden Panel. Field period: July 17–28, 2025. 368 respondents were 16–19 years old and 250 were 20–23 years old. See more in the attached fact sheet.

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Source: IQ