Outcomes of Camera Surveillance Systems in Schools

A school in Biloxi, Mississippi placed a camera surveillance system in every classroom in their school, following the mass school shootings across the U.S. This sparked a huge controversy in America and so the debate lives on. Certain laws protect students and faculty to a right of reasonable privacy in the school and classroom (Green, 1999). Some say this is a truth serum within the school system that can protect the teachers and students. There is some peace of mind that will come to the students and parents for many reasons (Green, 1999). Camera surveillance systems in classrooms can help stop bullying in schools. Doonside Technology High School reported a 70 percent drop in bullying since they installed the surveillance system in the school (McDougall, 2012). The camera surveillance system can also just keep an eye out for students, teachers, and visitors maintaining a strong sense of security.

Some believe this to be a controversial issue, but most believe the positives outweigh the negatives (Elvia, 2018).

In some cases, teachers have harassed their students and gotten away with it and vice versa. These sorts of scenarios would rarely happen if there were surveillance cameras installed in each classroom. Another example, if a teacher reprimands a student for cheating on a test, the student could then turn around and accuse the teacher of sexual harassment and that could cause the teacher to spend many years in prison because of an untrue statement given by a child. The surveillance system would prevent those types of scenarios (Elvia, 2018).
Video cameras add an extra level of protection when supervision is unavailable in certain instances. Before-school and after-school programs can be more monitored. There have been multiple cases of the mistreatment of students by teachers. In Alabama, a teacher's aide and a teacher were placed on leave after a recorder on the bottom of the child's wheelchair caught the adults making derogatory statements to the student (Embury, 2017, p. 14). In another instance, a South Carolina teacher was fired after a camera caught her pushing down a preschool student with disabilities. The clear benefit of the cameras is used to protect the students and teachers from any false accusations that may arise (Embury, 2017).

Cameras being installed in classrooms could prevent bullying from happening. Bullying has become a serious issue in the U.S. school system. 27.8% of students ages 12-18 have reported being bullied while at school which is a third of the population of the students. Of the 27.8% that reported being bullied, 64.5% said it was once or twice during the school year, 18.5% said it was once or twice a month, 9.2% said it was once or twice a week, and 7.8% said it was almost every day. 58% of children said they did not tell an adult or teacher when they were a victim of bullying.

Students should be able to attend school and not have a question about safety in their learning environment (Conzer Security Inc., 2018). Schools are in the business of educating students. Learning cannot occur if students feel threatened when they are at school. Bullies must be taught about the serious consequences of their actions; bullying victims need to learn how to report bullying free of intimidation. A video surveillance and security camera system is a huge difference maker in student's sense of safety white at school (Conzer Security Inc., 2018, p. 13).

When students are placed under a surveillance system, they tend to behave well, which is certainly an effective way to stop bullying in the classroom. Doonside Technology High School in Sydney has reported a 70% drop in bullying since the school has been protected by CCTV security cameras around the clock (Elvia, 2018, p. 9). In the state's most at-risk schools, there has been a dramatic cut in the amount of vandalism, break-ins, criminal acts, and targeted bullying (McDougall, 2012).

At Doonside Technology High School, the funding for the camera surveillance system was not specifically meant for bullying and harassment but in a serious incident where two boys got into a fight, the principals could check the footage and confirmed that one of the students had a knife. There are firm rules on where the cameras can and cannot be placed. The camera surveillance systems are banned in areas like bathrooms, changing rooms, locker rooms, showers, and other bathing areas (McDougall, 2012).

Bullying on school buses is a continued problem as well as in the classroom. According to the American Bus Video Inc., 12 million children have experienced bullying while riding the bus to or from school. Yale University reported that a bullied child is between two and nine times more likely to commit suicide than non-bully victims. Camera surveillance systems would improve the safety of children during their ride to and from school (American Bus Video Inc., 2018). The worlds most precious cargo is transported in school buses (American Bus Video Inc., 2018).

Every parent worries about their child's safety when they send them to school. They put their full trust in the school to be able to keep their children secure and safe. Schools often have to deal with unauthorized visitors. Intruders have a variety of motives, extending from inappropriate visits from friends and family members to threatening trespassers such as an abusive or unstable parent who is not authorized to have communication with that child. A camera surveillance system is a solution to these ongoing problems happening in schools. Some solutions are even able to integrate facial recognition software that can identify people who are not permitted on school property (James, 2018, p. 6).

This upgraded security system can help keep an eye out for who is coming in and out of the school at all times. Students are constantly getting violations for being tardy and principals and office workers can resolve this issue by reviewing the footage. Many visitors come in and out of school every day and the cameras are a useful tool to eliminate unauthorized trespassers (Elvia, 2018).
Parents and students in the U.S. are well aware of the threat of school shootings, so it is every school's duty and responsibility to be prepared if the situation may ever occur. A high-quality video surveillance system is far more likely to instantaneously alert the school's security team if there is a problem. This allows them to take the immediate necessary procedure for a school lockdown. This will save time and save lives (James, 2018).

Camera surveillance systems should be installed into schools to give the students, parents, and faculty a sense of safety and peace of mind. This sparked a huge controversy in America and it is well debated. Laws protect students and faculty to a right of reasonable privacy in the school and classroom (Green, 1999). This is a truth serum within the school system that can protect the teachers and students. Camera surveillance systems in classrooms can help stop bullying in schools. Doonside Technology High School reported a 70 percent drop in bullying since they installed the surveillance system in the school (McDougall, 2012). The camera surveillance system can also just keep an eye out for students, teachers, and visitors maintaining a strong sense of security. Some believe this to be a controversial issue, but most believe the positives outweigh the negatives (Elvia, 2018). All of these cases should be enough reason to place camera surveillance systems in every school in America. No security procedure can completely ensure the safety of students and staff, but school officials can take advantage of the technology we have available and respond quickly to any potential threat in the school. Students can be set up for success long after graduation if these effective methods are used for reducing these problems (James, 2018).

References

1. Elvia. (2018, September 11). School security cameras & systems: pros, cons & privacy – Reolink Blog. Retrieved from https://reolink.com/school-security-cameras-systems/
2. Green, M. (1999, September). Legal aspects of the use of video cameras in schools. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/school/ch2a_18.html
3. McDougall, B. (2012, March 27). School security CCTV puts bullies on pause. Retrieved from https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/school-security-cctv-puts-bullies-on-pause/news-story/c1c513fa6ae01fec09d721925386f7ed?sv=b97c2bb2ff2544b6d300daca43c4a83c
4. Embury, D. (2017, August 25). Using video cameras in classroom: benefits and cautions. Retrieved from https://www.friendshipcircle.org/blog/2017/08/25/video-cameras-in-classrooms-benefits-and-cautions/
5. (2018, July 02). How security cameras can help prevent bullying in schools. Conzer Security Inc. Retrieved from https://www.conzer.com/how-security-cameras-can-help-prevent-bullying-in-schools/
6. James, J. (2018, October 1). An eye on the campus: campus challenges include monitoring areas of concern. Retrieved from https://securitytoday.com/articles/2018/10/01/an-eye-on-the-campus.aspx
7. (2018). School bus bullying security camera surveillance. American Bus Video Inc. Retrieved from https://americanbusvideo.com/mobile-video-applications/school-bus-bullying-securit.html

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