No Touching Rule in a Virginia School

[Ismenia]

No Touching Video from CNN.com

I watched this and was just dumbfounded that there was actually a rule like this. In my opinion, the school (as well as parents of course) should be teaching them what is appropriate touching and deal with the inappropriate behavior as they occur. A blanket policy like this is a bit extreme.

[Savaric]

I think it's a good policy. Some kids don't differentiate between okay touching and unacceptable touching.

Up until around the 7th grade I was a target for all kinds of "bullies." We moved around a lot and it becomes hard for young boys to fit in and I was no exception. Well I was also in a couple shitty school systems that certainly didn't help. I remember taking verbal abuse but plenty of physical as well, like getting punched in the stomach,spit on, shoved, etc. Well now that I look back on it those kids likely had mental issues and problems in the home/with the family. Other kids should never have to put up with their dysfunction.

I've come to view most public school systems as shit holes. The kids have no respect for adults and seem to me to acquire all their behaviors from other kids, which probably comes from the idiot box (t.v.). They don't need to be touching other students or putting their hands on anybody. They need to learn boundaries early on. You might think, "Oh they just wanna shake hands or hug." Give me a break- I don't recall shaking another classmates hand anytime during my stint through public education (wow Steve great job on that history quiz! [handshake]). Hugging? They can do it after school. I don't think it's all that draconian of a policy. How many legit scenarios can you think of where a student should display affection/friendship? Not very many.

You have to remember some of these kids are flat out aggressive. Some won't hesitate to pound another student without thinking of consequences (well I'm mostly referring to highschool kids). Sometimes even grown adults. They're just all the more cooler and respected by their classmates. Start them off early- it's not okay to put your hands on other people.

[Blog]

Although I don't have kids this seems like a reasonable policy for a school to have. During my day to day interactions with people outside of my family the most contact I will have with another person is a handshake- this would be the appropriate behavior they are trying to teach. Kids are more touchy feely than adults, but they can do so with their friends outside of school. The policy simplifies things for both the teachers and kids.

[Isaviel]

At 13 is one thing but when kids are in kindergarten or 1st grade it's a bit ridiculous. My son is an affectionate child and if he gave someone a hug he would get in trouble for it. I think they have gone overboard on this just like many other things.

I mean there is appropriate and unappropriate touching and kids need to learn that but to be punished for a hug? Come on. That is just ridiculous. You're showing kids that emotions are not excepted. So let's all make them into little robots. Don't blame the kids blame the parents and society for what it is today.

[kestra]

I don't recall shaking another classmates hand anytime during my stint through public education (wow Steve great job on that history quiz! [handshake]). Hugging? They can do it after school. I don't think it's all that draconian of a policy. How many legit scenarios can you think of where a student should display affection/friendship? Not very many.

This is a stupid policy.
I remember plenty of times where I hugged people, shaking hands, and showed affection to classmates.

Touching is so very important to human beings. I am strongly opposed to teaching students that touching is a bad idea.
As always, the onus is on parents to demonstrate and teach their children what is and isn't appropriate.

[asgoth]

originally by Savaric
You have to remember some of these kids are flat out aggressive. Some won't hesitate to pound another student without thinking of consequences (well I'm mostly referring to highschool kids). Sometimes even grown adults. They're just all the more cooler and respected by their classmates. Start them off early- it's not okay to put your hands on other people.

Unfortunately, it is too common today to try to overprotect people and kids, rather than trying to lean on people to educate their kids in proper behaviour.

To me, a no touch policy is the wrong signal. Once more, all kids are made to suffer because society seems unable to deal with those who never are taught the correct ways.

[Aristotle]

This is an example of what happens when we don't have the balls to fight the real problem.

Like passing Jessica's Law in every state.

Like the death penalty for child molesters - or at least repeat offenders for the worst crimes.

There should be extraordinary punishments for teachers who have sex with their students.

Kids who cause trouble in schools, cause fights, etc. should be kicked out of school and/or sent to schools for troubled kids. The parents should also be punished. Good kids shouldn't have to suffer the deterioration of their own educational environment because the school has to put up with the horrible kids.

[Jolen]

This is an example of what happens when we don't have the balls to fight the real problem.

This can be applied to much of what happens in society. An extreme reaction, one way or another. Balanced, well-thought out proposals are often tossed out because they are 'too difficult' to employ.

It does not surprise me, though, that this would come up in America. Americans tend to be less physically affectionate than the people of other countries. Is that right? I don't think so. I agree that physical contact is important to the well-being of people. We're seperated by enough ways to do something like this.

[Ismenia]

Again.. how I feel on the matter...

My two daughters decide to solve problems by hitting one another. Sooo.. we decide that as a family... we will never touch each other again! No kisses..no hugs.. no nothing. Where I should be teaching them appropriate ways of handling conflict, I instead decide to take the extreme and forbid them from touching one another forever....

Come on... this is not the way to be raising, young adults. Give them a bit of credit.

[Savaric]

Originally posted by Ismenia
My two daughters decide to solve problems by hitting one another. Sooo.. we decide that as a family... we will never touch each other again! No kisses..no hugs.. no nothing. Where I should be teaching them appropriate ways of handling conflict, I instead decide to take the extreme and forbid them from touching one another forever....

That's a little out of context though Issy. The public education system is hardly a family. And sure enough plenty of kids and young adults are all too happy to solve their disputes by hitting one another or by putting their hands on someone else- in this case someone elses kids.

Well hey look at this way. The American school systems are on a one way track to the gutter: http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/06....ap/index.html
We need to start trying new things.