School installing CCTV in toilets 'creepy' and 'intrusive'

I would have been horrified by this and it would have put me off using the toilets unless the alternative was to wet myself.

Reply 21

Tiger Rag

22

I'm sure this came up when I was in secondary school. They said they wanted to do it to stop the bullying. (or it may have been the changing rooms) But they said for privacy, they can't.

Dirty old codgers.

bunch of pedophiles.

Original post by Fullofsurprises

An excellent idea. Bullies target their victims wherever they think they can get away with it, so this will flush them out.

Original post by Fullofsurprises

I'm on a roll.

Reply 25

Charles III

21

Stupid idea.

My secondary school tackled this problem by introducing more 'open plan' style toilets. Two doorless archways, a wall in the middle with a window in the middle of it... that's where the sinks went... and then just toilet cubicles. No need for urinals and no need to film children when they're trying to use the toilet...

Reply 26

username2571271

18

I agree with someone above who said that the toilets are already bad enough :eek:

I very rarely ever used them and luckily very rarely needed to use them...

But as long as theyre not directed at cubicles and urinals then its not that bad an idea bc the toilets are obvs somewhere where a lot of stuff happens.

At my school, there was an incident in the toilets (I cant remember exactly what it was but it was obvs major neough to warrant what happened) CCTV footage was checked (as in ppl entering the toilets from the outside) and ppl from a particular year were pointed out. The then head master then did an assembly for that year group where the actual footage was shown and the offenders were found out :shock:

(I wasnt in the year group but everyone was talking about it)

Reply 27

uberteknik

21

Something smells fishy.

Reply 28

-Eirlys-

Debate & Current Affairs Helper

21

It's not like it's going to be directly on them whilst they use the loo! :lol:

It's a good idea. People vandalise and bully in the toilets a lot. Some kid set the toilets on fire in my school and the boys toilets were above the girls and there were holes in the floors directly above the cubicles. That's more intrusive and troublesome. :lol:

I wish they had CCTV in my school's toilets tbh.

Original post by Fox Corner

A secondary school in the West Midlands has been criticised for installing CCTV cameras in the toilets.

The school, Summerhill School in Kingswinford, said that this was to reduce bullying and vandalism, but many children now feel worried about using the toilets.

The school said "no cameras are directed towards sensitive areas including cubicles or urinals". A parent said: "A friend of mine said her daughter came home in tears because she was too scared to use the loo all day and she nearly wet herself in class. It's so intrusive and creepy."

You can read the story here.

I think this is pretty awful. Children need their privacy just like anybody else, and there must be a better way to reduce bullying here. What do you think? Intrusive or for their own good?

Reply 29

Kindred

20

Creepy.
If you want to reduce bullying you should just have a reasonable policy for dealing with those behaviours. A camera in the loos may show that bullying is happening, but it doesn't fix the issue. Besides, if you want to know if a kid is being bullied just make it easy for them to tell you.
And as far as vandalism goes it's not worth worrying your students like that just to prevent some loo roll on the ceiling.
Yeah it's not going to be capturing anything disturbing, but it's in a private area and it's going to feel like an invasion of privacy no matter where it's pointed.
That's coming from a possibly quite privileged view though. I've not been in a situation where bullying or vandalism has been all that serious. I guess it could be more necessary in some places.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 30

username2637499

18

My school had cameras installed outside the toilets. The toilets were a lot cleaner. Nobody felt it as an invasion of privacy, people need to stop moaning your day to day life is captured on CCTV everywhere and this is no different.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 31

qasim-96

15

Seems like some people are pissed with the idea.

Reply 32

princesshan

15

My school has cameras by the main doors of the toilets, but you can't see inside the cubicles or anything
They wouldn't be checked unless an incident was reported/suspected

That being said, looking at the images in the article I think that is an invasion of privacy and a step too far - I wouldn't feel comfortable with those

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 33

TimmonaPortella

21

Original post by Fox Corner

The school said "no cameras are directed towards sensitive areas including cubicles or urinals".

Well that's most of the toilets, so what is actually being surveilled? The sinks?

I don't have a problem with that, but I also don't see how it's going to do that much to stop bullying or vandalism, if the kids know that.

Reply 34

username2406123

16

Original post by Fullofsurprises

I'm on a roll.

Original post by Good bloke

Of the kind that is found in toilets?

The school system is going down the drain :mmm:

Reply 35

username2406123

16

Original post by sulaimanali

bunch of pedophiles.

Original post by Napp

Dirty old codgers.

To be honest.

Reply 36

gjd800

20

The high school I went to did this donkeys years ago. We complained like **** but nothing ever came of it. Was definitely weird.

(edited 6 years ago)

Reply 37

RVNmax

19

For the record, I would have felt a lot safer going to the school toilets if there were cameras. So much stuff went on in the toilets and changing rooms. I think schools could install cameras in only one set of toilets or vice versa to allow freedom of choice. I think you'll find the toilets with the cameras being used a lot more.

Reply 38

Sakura Blossom

10

Original post by Fox Corner

A secondary school in the West Midlands has been criticised for installing CCTV cameras in the toilets.

The school, Summerhill School in Kingswinford, said that this was to reduce bullying and vandalism, but many children now feel worried about using the toilets.

The school said "no cameras are directed towards sensitive areas including cubicles or urinals". A parent said: "A friend of mine said her daughter came home in tears because she was too scared to use the loo all day and she nearly wet herself in class. It's so intrusive and creepy."

You can read the story here.

I think this is pretty awful. Children need their privacy just like anybody else, and there must be a better way to reduce bullying here. What do you think? Intrusive or for their own good?