My son came home from secondary school recently and told me something shocking. A pupil had defecated on the floor of the boys’ toilets. (not the lockable cubicles but the area around the washbasins.) He did this in full view of the CCTV camera.
I was horrified that CCTVs were fitted in toilet areas but it makes sense for various reasons, if they are carefully placed. Cameras deter bullies and most bullying goes on in toilets. In case you are worried about the invasion of your child’s privacy it may surprise you to learn that there are more than 200 schools across Britain using CCTV cameras in pupil’s toilets or changing rooms. That is a total of 825 cameras. (Source: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/sep/11/cctv-cameras-school-changing-rooms)
I was also horrified that a pupil would do such a disgusting thing. My son told me it had happened a few times and those caught were expelled. It had also happened on a school trip away. A boy had defecated on another boy’s bed. I was curious to know why somebody would do this. My son said it was just a prank, due to boredom. I wove the incident into my novel ‘Every Family Has One’ which is about a teenager who goes off the rails and attempts to take his life. According to the charity Young Minds among teenagers rates of depression and anxiety have increased by 70% in the past 25 years. Life is tough and young people have more pressures in their lives than ever before. In ‘Every Family Has One’ Tim turns to cannabis to cope. He receives help from various professionals, none of whom offer him the help he needs. The story is a reflection of the state of things in this country and the lack of effective support for depressed teenagers. One reader said, “This is a book every parent should read. The dialogue is cracking and it pulls no punches.”
Here’s the link:
Young Minds link: http://www.youngminds.org.uk/about/whats_the_problem/mental_health_statistics