Vandalism at school needs to stop

Vandalism+has+been+a+recent+problem+in+many+high+schools+across+the+US.

Audrey Hagan

Vandalism has been a recent problem in many high schools across the US.

Daniel Arima, J1 Reporter

Vandalism at Bowie has been a very big problem. Bathrooms have been destroyed and trash cans set on fire, but the school doesn’t do enough to enforce the policies.  That’s why the school should require students to take a discipline course to graduate.

One reason is that if we teach students the long-term effects of vandalism or any other bad crimes they will stop doing these things that affect the overall mood of the school.

Educating students about minor crimes and the impact it has on their future’s will give students a new look and It will prevent them from doing more major crimes in future. It starts with something small and then it builds up to be a big problem. 

The importance of educating people in general about the effects of vandalism and other crimes will make students think before acting. Especially now since teens think more emotionally instead of rationally. A good sense of judgment is crucial to discern what is right or wrong. 

First impressions are important to everyone. If someone is rude and snobby at first you will not like them very much. The same applies to the school. If a freshman walks into a school and it is destroyed and vandalized, they will feel in danger and not like going to the school. The student seeing that adults are not doing anything about it will cause them to start to do rebellious things to push them to do something. However if the environment is friendly and welcoming students will want to come to school and will stop people wanting to ditch it.

Other people will argue that these proposed classes I am suggesting will fuel criminal acts as the students will feel like they are being treated like babies and will start to feel bored believing that they already know what is right and wrong.

That is true, but there are solutions to this like making these classes really fun and engaging. This will eliminate the boredom, motivating students to try and do their best to learn. Not just making it a lecture.

  More solutions to this problem are to treat students like equals. As a student I can tell you that it makes me feel angry when people treat me like a kid. I am sure other people have the same view as me. Treating students like adults will make them feel respected and they will be more inclined to care.

The last solution to this problem would be to not be afraid to dive deep into the dark details of topics. High school students are more mature than all other levels so they can take on more mature topics than most. Not explaining to them about more mature and dark situations will lead them to again feeling like they are being babied and not caring again.

Disciplinary courses are necessary now more than ever at Bowie with all the vandalism and actions occurring in school. I believe that the school will find a way to make these classes fun and engaging.