Cameras in Schools

2110 Words5 Pages

Cameras in Schools

Surveillance in schools has become more popular, not only for safety reasons, but also to monitor the classrooms and teachers. In recent years, violent episodes in schools in Arkansas, Colorado, California, Kentucky, Mississippi and other states have led educators and legislators to make safe schools a priority. The only problem with making the schools safer is how to make them safer without people feeling violated. Some programs to decrease the violence and inappropriate behavior rates are character education and peer meditation; however, this is not enough. Educators and legislators feel that with the issue of surveillance, the decrease will be more dramatic. Safety is not the only use for surveillance. Two of the most common types of surveillance are webcams and surveillance cameras. Webcams can record teachers in the classroom, how they handle their students, and the lessons they teach. Because webcams are easily accessed, they have negative responses when used in school settings, questioning the level of privacy. They can also be used for communication between two people (ex: over the Internet).

Surveillance cameras are mainly used for one reason: to ensure safety within a specific area. Surveillance cameras are used in stores, places of business, schools, etc.; however, the use of surveillance cameras in schools has also become a controversial subject over privacy.

Webcams are a more recent form of camera and live recording device. It is a camera that is designed to take digital photographs and transmit them over the internet. Live snapshots are taken and uploaded in regular intervals of a few minutes to continue to show a current picture. These webcam links are located on websites and are a...

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