Privacy vs. Safety...
By twoey68
@twoey68 (13627)
United States
December 27, 2009 1:55pm CST
Ok, this is a touchy subject and one that Hubby and I don’t agree on but I still want to see what other ppl think.
The topic is students right to privacy vs. school safety. Basically, should a school have the right to search a student’s locker, backpack, purse, car or anything else on school property if they have reason to believe that the student might have weapons or drugs? Before you decide consider this, if your child was shot by another student who brought a gun to school, would it change your opinion? What if a student or teacher reported the student had a gun but the student with it had it in their locker, should the school do nothing and risk the lives of every other student?
Where does the student’s right to privacy end and the safety of the other school children and teachers begin? Would you be upset if your child came home and told you that their locker, and other lockers, had been searched?
When I went to school, we had weekly locker inspections...they said it was for neatness but they were looking for anything we shouldn't have had. It never bothered me b/c I knew there wasn't anything in there that shouldn't be in there.
I’m not trying to make this a political discussion but rather one about where to draw the line. Please be nice in your responses and remember that not everyone will agree.
[b]~~AT PEACE WITHIN~~
**STANDING STRONG IN MY BELIEFS**[/b]
8 people like this
15 responses
@nanajanet (4436)
• United States
27 Dec 09
I will pick safety over privacy at any time. The times have changed and kids have access to more things that are illegal and dangerous, and more information on how to hide stuff. The internet, movies, tv, etc., have taught them all of this, so we must also evolve with them. If they are not doing anything wrong, they have nothing to hide.
2 people like this
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
29 Dec 09
they always did it at my school.
even a rumor could get your locker searched.
nowadays,it's probably a good idea.
the kids could say their rights are being squashed,but after things like columbine,hell..they should have detectors at the door too.
i wouldn't be upset if they searched my kid's locker-only if they seized something that was not a threat.like asprin,or an IPOD.
i'd make them return that.
1 person likes this
@leenie50 (3992)
• United States
29 Dec 09
Hey Twoey,
This issue is something that all parents should give a lot of thought to because we live in a very violent society at times. Crime happens in every corner of our lives.
I learned when my Son was a teen that privacy is a luxury that we can't afford to hand over with blinders on. It's our job to keep our children as safe as humanly possible and that means even from themselves. We often think that our children are smart enough to make the right choices but we forget how peer pressure can change the course of our decisions. When they become adults, they become responsible for their actions and choices but as long as they are under 18 years of age they are our responsibility and it is up to us to try and make sure they make the right choices.
Leenie
@scififan43 (2434)
• United States
29 Dec 09
I think school officals should have the power to search school lockers for the safty and security of the students there. underange minnors should not have the rights to privicay as adults. a school locker is not a home or a house and is acculy proberty of the school and should be used for the purposes of stowing the students books and choles ect. not for anythihng ealse.
@sarahruthbeth22 (43143)
• United States
28 Dec 09
It all depends on if you see kids as citizens or not. I know as an adult they Have to get a search warrent Before they even breathe on my property.I never had my locker searched at school. and if it were searched I think my mom would have taken me out of that school. Personal privacy is essential. But I guess people are too scared to care about it.
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
28 Dec 09
I honestly have to say that the school should have the right to search those types of things, especially these days. There is alot of things going on inside of schools and it better to be safe than sorry.
@manleyjoe (1597)
• United States
28 Dec 09
Safety should come first and uppermost in our schools. The liberals that would take away all our security by saying all have a right to private is full of it. Student should not have the right to privacy until they have earned it. FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL!
@Kashmeresmycat (6369)
• United States
27 Dec 09
I don't see anything wrong with them doing locker checks. I would want safety as the priority, and if that's what needs to be done, so be it. When I was in school, long, long time ago, haha, we didn't have that at all. Nowadays, you need it as so many kids carry weapons putting everyone in danger. Times have changed and this is what sets the rules. And it doesn't matter where you live either. That's just my opinion.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
28 Dec 09
I don't think that students have the right to privacy. They are CHILDREN! We are supposed to protect our children from each other and other outside forces. They have no right to privacy in our homes or in our schools.
Okay, I always respected my sons' privacy. That's because they earned it. Their behavior in our home and in their school allowed me to respect their privacy. In a public institution where they could be hurt or killed by another student whose parents didn't raise him or her as well as I did my own children, I do not think there should be any rights to privacy.
In a society like ours where we've seen parenthood break down to a point where a mom calls police to stop her son playing a video game at 1AM, life is dangerous. We fear our neighbors' children and that is wrong. Search away, ban lockers, have all the security you want at our schools. If it saves one life, it's worth it.
@nova1945 (1612)
• United States
28 Dec 09
I think safety is more important. As long as you don't have any contraband in your locker, it shouldn't matter to you if it is searched. The school just needs to make clear from the beginning that all lockers and backpacks are subject to search at will and that way all students know the risks involved in breaking the rules up front. After all, they search a lot more thoroughly at the airport every time one takes a flight and no one expects any more privacy than the others. Time to grow up and prepare for the real world, kids.
@PeacefulWmn9 (10420)
• United States
28 Dec 09
Hi Twoey.
Child, student, or adult...given the many preventable tragedies in the world or the self-harm and harm to others that is such a constant, I believe safety must always come before privacy...always.
I know that when I was in school, locker inspections were much as you've described, but back then, the world, and kids especially, was entirely different. I cringe each time I watch the news at teen violence, kids killing kids, and it is now at such a young, young age that these things can occur.
Karen
@adriennem10 (165)
• United States
28 Dec 09
I think the locker thing is stupid. We dont have locker checks harldy at all. Where i live i think we need them more often. I think it is necessary for the teens lockers to be checked. Heck now a days little kids are taking stuff to school and selling and buying and/or trading.
@savypat (20216)
• United States
27 Dec 09
I think like all agreements, the school districts promise to provide services and the children and parents agree to abide by the rules. If there needs to be a change in any of these issues it must be by joint agreement. Of course with schools who get federal money there are additional rules to be met. Most of the controversy arises from all the parties involved not being able to agree to changes. More and more the parents expect the district and the government to provide additional services for the same or less money. The lines between parents duties and schools duties is no longer clear. On a very basic level, children are citizens and such should be able to expect that all their rights and benefits under the constitution will be protected. On the other hand payment must be made
to provide these things. Life becomes more and more confusing, we expect rights of freedom and yet we also expect protection, the two are no longer compatible. The question is what rights of freedom are you willing to give up in order to be protected?
