A new study has found that increased security in schools may be leading to lower grades, as students find it hard to concentrate. School is somewhere children spend most of their time, and it is important that it is a safe space for them. However, schools are just as vulnerable to violent events, and this has been shown through recent tragedies.
This means that school boards are placing extra security in, and around, school buildings. This has been done in an attempt to protect the children from harm, but it may not be having the impact they meant it to. Studies are being done to see what this increased security does to students and if it is helping more than harming them.
According to Study Finds, a new study was done that found that increased school security may be leading children to have poorer grades. This study was done by researchers at Johns Hopkins University, and it can be read in full here.
It found that students often felt more like “suspects” than “students,” and it made it hard for them to concentrate on their work. This was reflected in their grades, which can be carried with them through the rest of their lives.
The study also found that it led children to have a more negative educational experience, as students grew to feel like their school was more like a prison, and less like a school. While this is not something anyone wants, many wonder what the solution could be. Security is seen as essential to make sure students are safe physically, but it can be harming them emotionally, and that is something that has to be taken seriously.
This study looked at a lot more than just a security guard who was walking around the school. They also looked at schools that have metal detectors, random checks, closing campuses for lunch, random dog checks, and even schools that forced their children to carry clear bags. The researchers state that they know that the school has to do what it can to make sure students are safe, but they also know that the main goal of school is to educate children and this may not be happening.
Their exact results showed that schools that had heightened security measures had higher suspension rates, and were likely to have to “punish” students. They also found that students from these schools had lower math test scores, and they were less likely to enroll in college.
Sources: Study Finds, Science Direct