Stop Vindictive Punishments Against the Youth
A Buffalo High School Student
What exactly is the purpose of detention (DT)? Making students sit down for 30-45 minutes each day after school for “being bad” is completely pointless. Nothing gets done in these DT sessions other than inconveniencing the youth, who not only waste time in DT but also then miss their bus and have to find a way home. Youth in high school are forced into DT for minor infractions such as, coming to school a minute late, going to class a minute late, or any other silly pretext the school can think of to implement their favorite hobby, punishing the youth.
We already face a situation where we are only given two minutes between classes, where bathrooms are closed on all but one floor all morning long, and where socializing and discussing with our friends, an important part of school for all the youth, is also used as an excuse for detention. All of these rules are used to humiliate the youth and then set us up for punishment. Then, since no time is given to use the bathrooms and most of them are kept locked half the time, we have to ask for permission and get told no! Then rejecting this humiliation and arguing with the teacher or just leaving to go is called insubordination and grounds for DT. And whether you get DT does not depend on the actual situation in each case, but on the individual you are dealing with and how they are feeling that day.
The DT sessions serve no good purpose to the student body. While in DT at my school, youth are not allowed to do any work. Youth are not allowed to read, to study, or to draw. They are not allowed to talk or be social. Youth are forced to merely sit there and wait for their name to be called (almost like prison, almost like the military) so the person in charge knows they are there.
The administrators guarding students act like policemen. They are known to badger and intensely guard youth. Most youth make attempts to reach out to other youth and be social (as youth should). Anyone caught talking has to deal with further badgering from the administration. Even worse, when their name is called the administrator tells them they have another day of detention.
The problems facing the youth will not be solved by exacting revenge on the youth. In our schools we need several things. We want better counselors who assist us, instead of enforcing arbitrary and unfair rules. The counselors we have now don’t help the youth at all. They usually tend to delegitimize the youth’s problems. Telling you things like “you’re young, you’ll get over it.”
Another thing desperately needed is the space for youth to seriously talk with each other about their problems. In every place in school youth are completely stifled. Politically, socially, and ideologically all youth are told to be silent. What is needed is a forum to talk about everything.
What is for sure is that DT is nothing more than an attempt to divert youth, teachers, and parents from the true problems facing youth. It is also a means of the administration to exact revenge on the youth merely out of frustration for not being able to end the problem on their own terms. At our school we are organizing together to discuss problems and fight for our rights and I urge youth in every school to get organized!
(Buffalo Forum offers its experience and resources to all youth and teachers who want to join in discussing solutions and defending the rights of all. Call 602-8077)
What exactly is the purpose of detention (DT)? Making students sit down for 30-45 minutes each day after school for “being bad” is completely pointless. Nothing gets done in these DT sessions other than inconveniencing the youth, who not only waste time in DT but also then miss their bus and have to find a way home. Youth in high school are forced into DT for minor infractions such as, coming to school a minute late, going to class a minute late, or any other silly pretext the school can think of to implement their favorite hobby, punishing the youth.
We already face a situation where we are only given two minutes between classes, where bathrooms are closed on all but one floor all morning long, and where socializing and discussing with our friends, an important part of school for all the youth, is also used as an excuse for detention. All of these rules are used to humiliate the youth and then set us up for punishment. Then, since no time is given to use the bathrooms and most of them are kept locked half the time, we have to ask for permission and get told no! Then rejecting this humiliation and arguing with the teacher or just leaving to go is called insubordination and grounds for DT. And whether you get DT does not depend on the actual situation in each case, but on the individual you are dealing with and how they are feeling that day.
The DT sessions serve no good purpose to the student body. While in DT at my school, youth are not allowed to do any work. Youth are not allowed to read, to study, or to draw. They are not allowed to talk or be social. Youth are forced to merely sit there and wait for their name to be called (almost like prison, almost like the military) so the person in charge knows they are there.
The administrators guarding students act like policemen. They are known to badger and intensely guard youth. Most youth make attempts to reach out to other youth and be social (as youth should). Anyone caught talking has to deal with further badgering from the administration. Even worse, when their name is called the administrator tells them they have another day of detention.
The problems facing the youth will not be solved by exacting revenge on the youth. In our schools we need several things. We want better counselors who assist us, instead of enforcing arbitrary and unfair rules. The counselors we have now don’t help the youth at all. They usually tend to delegitimize the youth’s problems. Telling you things like “you’re young, you’ll get over it.”
Another thing desperately needed is the space for youth to seriously talk with each other about their problems. In every place in school youth are completely stifled. Politically, socially, and ideologically all youth are told to be silent. What is needed is a forum to talk about everything.
What is for sure is that DT is nothing more than an attempt to divert youth, teachers, and parents from the true problems facing youth. It is also a means of the administration to exact revenge on the youth merely out of frustration for not being able to end the problem on their own terms. At our school we are organizing together to discuss problems and fight for our rights and I urge youth in every school to get organized!
(Buffalo Forum offers its experience and resources to all youth and teachers who want to join in discussing solutions and defending the rights of all. Call 602-8077)
