what are the CONS of having surveillence cameras at schools?

Question

i have a debate tomorrow at school thta i just figured out was tomorrow, and i have like no ideas about the bad things about it sicne unluckily i got put on the con side..help!

Answer 1

Nothing. I don't know what a teenager does that requires such a necessity, however as a parent I would like to know what's hapenning in their social lives that may be a problem. From the bully that everyone avoids, to cutting class - but other than that I can pretty much detect what's happening by their attitude at home. After all....I was in the same shoes myself.

Answer 2

That's an interesting topic. It might help to think about what surveillance is for and whether the need meets the conditions for surveillance. For instance, the definition of surveillance is the close monitoring of behavior.

Do students warrant that kind of monitoring? If your position is no then you might want to drive home that students are not at school to commit crimes but instead to learn. You can mention that surveillance cameras are distraction to learning. Moreover that it changes the atmosphere of the school. You can mention studies which show surveillance tends to disproportionately target minorities.

If your opponent cites a lack of opposition to surveillance, you can counter that the lack of opposition may stem from not wanting to be singled out. For instance, if a surveillance camera really bothers you, you'd be afraid that saying something means you're guilty of or intend to commit a crime.

Don't feel unlucky. You have the position that craves exploration. Knock 'em dead!

Answer 3

Here's three points against having camera surveillance in schools:

1) Virtually all the arguements for such surveillance is based on emotional appeals to fear on the part of parants--and security companies who stand to make a great deal of money have capitalized on tragedies like Columbine to heighten that fear in order to profit. But there are NO empirical studies that show such surveillance makes schools safer. BTW--that is not my opinion--its a simple statement of fact--but I will add that from a policy/social science perspective (I am a social scientist) it is virtually certain that such surveillance isn't useful in preventing such tragedies--or the other allleged problems supposedly prevented by cameras.

2) The use of such methods sends a clear message that students are regarded as irresponsible and not to be trusted--at best. At worst, it says students are to be regarded as and treated as criminals.

3) (This is NOT just my opinion--see below) Such surveillance is a dangerous form of social control. Our young people are being socialized (indoctrinated) into accepting virtually total supervision on the part of the government (remember theschool, either public or private, stands as the authority, legal and social, for students). This does not bode well for the future of a free society. Knowledge is power--and the power to gather information to this degree, granted to the state, is a recipe for dictatorship.

Answer 4

Loss of personal privacy and rights, per Amendments 3-6 in the Bill of Rights.
You could be photographed from all angles and your info sent to other databases. Your books, your locker, cars you get out of, license plates, places you go at certain times. These things can all be stored and shared without your knowledge.
Show me the person who would not corrupted by that kind of information. It's indecent and unchristian.

Answer 5

Conditions youth to accept loss of privacy and surveillance. Could be bad for the future of our country.

Answer 6

Maybe they give a false sense of security . . .
If the criminal types know their location and just go 'out of camera site' to pull their stunts ?