Bullying

After watching If You Really Knew Me I discovered that each person has a very unique background that affects how they act in school or toward others. Most kids want to fit in at school so they do things that aren't the real them. Sometimes people bully others to fit in because they feel insecure of themselves. How kids treat others is based on their past experiences that few people know of. For that reason, it makes it easier for someone to bully another person. Not knowing somebody well enough makes it easier to bully them because you don't know there background and past experiences. Another thing that makes it easier to bully is technology. Bullying through technology (cyber bullying) has made bullying easier and more effective for many reasons. Bullies feel safer rather than face to face, they can say things they normally wouldn't, and they can keep up the bullying out of school because technology is everywhere these days. "Bullying is not a new phenomenon, but the Internet gives bullies the ability to continually humiliate their victim and amplify their actions beyond a school’s borders." Cyber bullying is something that cannot be seen as well and can be much more effective because anyone on the internet may be able to see it. I'd like to say this is not a problem at DHS, but it is, however, to a lesser degree. I think it is almost impossible to find a school where there is no bullying that takes place. I think DHS is a good school when it comes to bullying because not much occurs. Its sad to say, but bullying is inevitable and it it does happen to some students at DHS. Sometimes minorities may be bullied because they are "different" from others. Even though bullying seems inevitable, we should do all we can to prevent it. I believe the best way to stop bullying, especially cyber bullying, is to educate the students and teachers the signs and effects of cyber bullying. This way they will be aware of the problem and know how to prevent it. "Teachers and administrators are sometimes not aware of what might be happening online, are unsure of the boundaries of their responsibility with cyberbullying, or are simply ill-equipped to handle it if they do know about it." Because cyber bullying is somewhat knew and always changing with technology, teachers must be up to date with it and educated accordingly so they may fully understand it.

New reasons drug testing isn't cool.

 In a recent ruling it was stated that the past rulings on student searches were very vauge and teachers and staff had little to work with. Steven R. Shapiro, the ACLU's national Legal Director stated, "Today's ruling affirms that schools are not constitutional dead zones. While we are disappointed with the Court's conclusion that the law was not clear before today and therefore school officials were not found liable, at least other students will not have to go through what Savana experienced." The past rulings were very general and left things very open, allowing for some unjust searches, such as the search in the case of Safford Unified School District v. Redding. "Neither the Constitution nor common sense permits school officials to treat a strip search the same as a locker or backpack search." This is relevant to drug testing because its not like a simple search of a back-back, drug testing is a search of the body and should not be allowed within a school. With drug testing and unjust searches students will be violated of their rights and be taught the wrong thing. "The lesson being imparted–one that goes against every fundamental principle this country was founded upon–is that we have no rights at all against the state or the police." Students get this impression when they are unjustly searched and will continue to be brainwashed to think that the sate can do as they like to them. Students should not be growing up getting this impression that all power can do unjust things to them. Having a drug test will give them that impression, but they should know people shouldn't have to give into random drug tests.

Drug testing in school is not cool

Why is drug testing in school not cool, you ask? Well the answer is simple, drug testing is an invasion of privacy. Students are protected by the fourth amendment even when they're in school. Students should not be drug tested without a reasonable reason to. A drug test would be a search without suspicion because the school would have no evidence or specific reason to search someone.This alone, is reason enough to not have drug testing. Diving further into privacy issues, students would be required to share information regarding their prescribed medications. Students should never be forced to share what medications they take for any reason. Not only do students have to give up their medication information, but teachers at Tecumseh High School in Oklahoma saw the information and the results of the test. If a student is suddenly suspended from their activity, then all the other students will know the results. Students may also be falsely suspended because some common over-the-counter or prescription drugs may test positive.Mike, a seventeen year-old from Shallowater High School was taking medication for allergies. He was randomly tested and tested positive for cocaine. The test result was false because he truly wasn't using cocaine. Mike was suspended and had to take many more tests. This is only one of the many possible cases that have or can happen and is a complete invasion of privacy and is against the 4th amendment. It is up to the students' parents to parent them and decide to give them drug tests or not. It is not the school's job to test students for drugs and punish them.