High School Safety and Security

Categories: Dropping Out Of High School High school High School Experience

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The education system in the united states is riddled with issues, arguably the most critical is student safety. For students to receive the knowledge teachers impart they must be in an environment that fosters education, not one that prompts fear and avoidance. The “Indicators of school crime and safety” national report (2017), published by the US Department of Education, US justice office and the CDC, found a higher occurrence of violent incidence in school such as sexual assault, rape, physical attacks or fights and robbery at a 69%, as well as a growth in bullying which was surprisingly higher in middle school than in the high school grade levels (p.

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7). In addition, one can easily observe how School shootings have become a major cause for teacher and student distress. These instances of violence create apprehension in students and teachers; They elicit feelings of insecurity and highlight the lack of safety greatly impacting academic involvement and performance.

The menacing bullies, abusive peers, vulgar insults and sexual perpetrators (assault) are facets of education that teachers and students alike must manage.

These instances of bullying are mostly perceived as minor transgressions. Not many recognize comments like “You’re a loser” or acts like hiding a peer’s belongings as a violent crime. Nevertheless, this type of behavior is not conducive to academic success it can cause psychological, physical, and emotional distress in victims. The Stop Bullying Government Program found that victims of bullying are vulnerable to experience depression, anxiety, health complaints, and decreased academic achievement (Stopbullying.

gov, 2017). Many of these students struggle to focus on their studies because their thoughts are consumed with fear of there peers. They may feel isolated, alone and unmotivated. Bullying can lead to other risky behaviors such as alcohol abuse or drug use, fights, vandalism, criminal conviction, and suicide or could escalate to more serious crimes (Stopbullying.gov, 2017). If these instances are not adequately dealt with students will be apprehension with regard to their safety and security and develop a perception of danger in their schools.

Erica Maisonet a teacher in a local public school provided an example during an interview we conducted, “I was giving a lesson and a fight broke out outside of my class. I had observed the student being bullied the weeks before and now he was being assaulted…he left school after that…It’s my responsibility as a teacher to prevent and intervein in these situations.”. These cruel offenses have become a violent culture and are difficult to identify and control. For fear of Victimization or causing aggravation to perpetrators, victims tend to conceal their struggles. In the last two years the issue, highly guided by this fear of victimization, seems to have grown to a rate of 28 crimes per 1,000 students of which 9 may be reported to police authorities (“Indicators of school crime and safety” national report, 2017, p.7). Students reluctancy to share complicates a teacher’s role as protector. Their inability to identify these situations can induce feelings of inadequacy or frustration thus interfering in the teaching process and preventing students and teachers from accomplishing their goals. There are certain risk factors that help identify victims and perpetrators. School crimes can be gang-related or influenced by drug-related issues. Most perpetrators have a unique family dynamic, history of criminal activity and low Socio-economic statues all of which affect their violent tendencies (Violence prevention, October 30, 2018).

The feeling of impotence and hopelessness in a victim come from not knowing how to resolve this type of conflict and results in them taking matters into their own hands. Their sense of shame and feelings of anger drives them to find something stronger and more powerful than the bully. Many of these individuals seeking revenge are influenced by events like the Santa Fe school shooting. In which 8 students and 2 teachers were killed and 10 others wounded. CNN reports that there have been over 23 school shootings this year alone averaging to about one shooting a week. In addition, The New York Times reports (February 14, 2018) that since the 2012 sandy hook shooting, more than 400 people have been shot in over 200 schools (Jugal K. Paltel, 2018). Not all these individuals were guided by a need for revenge some of these events were unprovoked or executed by people previously seen as stable. This compromises a school’s ability to protect their students because they can’t identify all possible threats. Though threat assessment teams are formed to identify threats and prevent tragic events, they continue to prevail because of the limitations in knowledge. Ms. Maisonet shares an experience she had at her school:

“I don’t know if I’m supposed to say but last year there was this kid, he didn’t have many friends and he was always being picked on…One day in class he said really angrily ‘oh whatever yall are gonna see on Monday… ya’ll are gonna die…the teacher reported it to PD… they found a whole bunch of guns that he had been storing. Everyone had been talking about that, it was all over Twitter and Facebook. On Monday half of our school population was out. Nobody went because all throughout the weekend everybody was passing around that on Monday there was going to be a shootout. Parents called asking what was going on and if it was true. They had to do a mass announcement that there was a threat, but everything is fine they caught it on time and kids could return to school. When things like that happened it [makes you aware] of the insecurity and concerns for student well-being…You don’t really think about it until it happens. But a lot of the time when it happens it's too late, Like at Fredrick Douglass or sandy hook.”

Metal Detectors: Justifying School Safety

How much is your child's safety worth? Are you willing to put a price tag on your child's life? Many schools are putting a price tag, but fortunately several are not. A shocking one in ten students has carried a weapon to school in New York. Statistics like this cannot be music to the ears of parents. You have to wonder what schools are doing about this awful matter. A notion that has been around, yet a new idea is helping pave the future on student safety in schools. It is metal detectors. This new idea has caused controversy all over the world. Schools around the United States have turned to metal detectors for their solution. I feel that metal detectors are a small price to pay when this matter concerns children. Metal detectors are helpful and expensive. However, most schools are able to afford them, and they do not exploit students' rights.

Metal detectors ensure school safety quickly and effectively. They help enforce a practice that is seen in many areas, including airports and courthouses. Many may argue that they consume too much time and require specially trained professionals. On the contrary, several schools have taken the same measures that are taken when conducting a poll. Polls only use a small percent of the population for the actual questions, but it still represents the entire population. Countless cities, including New York, have "...set a predetermined method of scanning which allows them to scan every second or third student instead of the entire student body" (McDermott 2). This measure is closely monitored, and it has proven to be successful. Some schools have even made things move quicker by having the teachers enter through a different entrance, which also includes metal detectors. Metal detectors in schools are also enforcing a method that is commonly used everywhere these days. A student from Chicago states in a message board that,

Government offices have metal detectors that everyone has to walk through before they enter. If I go to City Hall, I have to walk through a metal detector. If I go to court for a speeding ticket, I have to go through a metal detector. Why shouldn't kids have to do the same in school? It's a public place, funded by public dollars (much like government offices) and I don't see that it violates anyone's civil rights to have to walk through a metal detector to ensure that a school is safe.

Students lose many privileges when they enter the school doors because student safety is on the top of the list. If they do not want to be searched or questioned then they should not bring with them articles that are inappropriate for school.

Leigh was right when he said metal detectors are expensive. They can range from $4,495 to $5,495 for the walk-through models and from one hundred to four hundred dollars for the hand-held models. This minor setback causes debates. Metal detectors may not be needed in all grades of schools. "A vast majority of school homicides and suicides - 179 - took place in high schools..." when surveyed in New York. Therefore, various school districts may only need to install the metal detectors in high schools. Another aspect is that taxpayers already pay for insufficient funds. They should use the money for safer schools, instead of funding a new, state-of-the-art prison. Public officials need to look into where other tax dollars are going, and try and focus on getting it to go to schools.

Students go to school to be educated; if their education is impaired the school officials then need to step in. Students are also missing valuable time when public officials are required to search the entire school because of threats of a bomb or other life threatening incidents. " 'All the kids are missing out on their education...' " (Szaniszlo 1). This could have been prevented with the metal detectors. Although the threats are to be taken seriously, the officials would have a sense of relief with the metal detectors in place. Metal detectors are beneficial to everyone, and not just the students. For example, they enforce school policy and protect students. The school officials have a right to search with reasonable cause and this does not invade the students' rights or privacy. The school officials are in loco parentis (in the place of the parent) to help maintain order in the school. Rules and regulations create a structure that is necessary to ensure a safe environment, " . . . that will reinforce the District's priority goal of safe schools for all students and staff" (Code of Conduct).

Just as students must obey the rules, school officials have a set of rules to follow. Also, parents are allowed to search their kids' room without a search warrant mandatory, so school officials should be given the same standard. They are acting in loco parentis; therefore, like parents they do not need a search warrant. "The in loco parentis doctrine basically assumes that students have no legitimate expectation of privacy in their personal property, such as purses, gym bags, or clothing" (Persico 28). The school is now not only responsible for educating the children, but also for protecting them while in the school's supervision. School officials "...were not permitted to begin a pat-down search until the scanning device had been activated twice..." (NYSSN). They are obligated to search when they feel the school environment has been threatened.

School officials only begin a thorough search when the detector has beeped twice on the same student. Only then are they allowed to search the specific area where it beeped. Leigh states that metal detectors "...instill a sense of humiliation in students..." (654). Students would not be embarrassed if the search was done in private. He also mentions "...the most harmful effect of metal detectors is their psychological impact on students subjected to daily searches" (Leigh 653). I have to agree that it might cause such impact, but that it is worth the price. When a student dies on school grounds it also causes a sense of fear for classmates. Schools only have these powers because they are out to ensure our safety. Schools will use whatever means possible to protect he student body.

The Columbine tragedy really awakened the American public. Who knew that two teenage boys would have access to guns and that they would intentionally use them to hurt others? Schools with the help of metal detectors would have a chance to prevent such incidents in the future. Metal detectors may not be a full-proof plan, but they would be valuable asset for schools. School districts are turning to this new phenomenon to better the school environment and community. Trying to work around the metal detectors idea or complaining about the cost are not the real issues. The students' life is at stake. Nevertheless, to prevent the impossible from happening, adopting the idea of metal detectors is worth taking a chance.