Opinion

Detention backfires

Violet Coffindaffer

Sept 21. 2023

 Discipline is used in schools across the United States. Discipline and detention in schools is used to try and control students and maintain behaviors of the students. Detention is one of the most common forms of discipline in schools. Detention typically means you remain at school after hours as your punishment  and report to a certain room or place by a specific time and usually stay for 2-3 hours. Teachers have reported behavior problems since the beginning of public school systems and the answer has typically been treated with things like discipline or similar punishments. The history of school discipline has not been followed in a straight path directly due to different behavior problems and attitudes towards different disciplines. 

The earliest forms of punishment  came from teachers because when children were at school teachers were expected to act as their parents and led to forms of abuse. I think teachers should not be allowed to discipline students however they please. Teachers can take punishments out of hand  and things can go wrong if teachers feel entitled or have too much control. I think this is an important topic, I believe teachers are able to get away with a lot of things that go on during class and the way they discipline students and sometimes take it too far. 

Detention can be stressful and often feels like a punishment rather than a constructive learning experience.  “Detention can be harmful because it creates a negative environment and can also lead to feelings of shame and resentment”. Instead of fostering growth and improvement, it can reinforce a punitive mindset that may not address the underlying issues that are causing behavioral problems. I think that exploring alternative approaches that rather focus on empathy and showing support can be beneficial for students overall well beings and their personal development. 

This article was written by a journalism student at Waynesboro High School