Dear Editor,
I am writing to respond to the article (titled ‘Local school puts cameras in bathrooms, May 27).
The installation of video cameras is to fight bullying in schools in Hong Kong, according to Mrs. Kwan, the Principal of St. Peter’s Co-Educational College. Undoubtedly, bullying exists in students’ bathrooms. ‘Happy Corner’, a hazing ritual especially among boys and other forms of violence might have been reported in toilets of secondary schools or even in university residential halls. There is a consensus in society that bullying must be prohibited, but from my point of view, not by this controversial means.
Installation of video cameras cannot wipe bullying from its root. Bullying is a complex issue. Bullies often have a low self-esteem. By picking on somebody smaller and weaker than them, they will look bigger and stronger by comparison. Or maybe, they have been bullied, so they bully others as a kind of revenge. Some bullies have a very unhappy family life. They have never been taught how to behave properly as they have never had any positive role models. Only by education and establishing correct values among teenagers can bullying be prevented.
Bullying does not necessarily take place in the lavatory. In fact, bullying can happen anytime and anywhere, within large or small groups. It can also take place over a computer or a cell phone. Cyber-bullying has a more detrimental effect than traditional bullying. A rumour posted on the Internet can be shared by many people, and it is impossible to remove the rumour from the Internet. Putting cameras outside the toilet cannot prevent traditional bullying, let alone cyberbullying. It is not cost-effective and a waste of school’s money. The precious resources could have been allocated to education and programmes promoting a positive school climate and culture to prevent bullying.
What is of utmost importance is that the measure violates students’ privacy. Everyone would have an uncanny feeling when being watched. With the practice in place, the school will have an entry record of the toilets. The students’ whereabouts will be exposed. It is worrying that the school would spy on students like what the US intelligence spies upon enemies via satellites and drones. The latter have already kicked off a lot of disputes on the rightfulness and legality of the surveillance programmes. If installation of video cameras outside bathrooms becomes a norm, schools might have an excuse to expand the coverage and install cameras elsewhere on the campus whenever they think there is such a ‘need’. All activities and conversations will be recorded and there will not be any students’ privacy in the extreme. Is that what parents expect when they send their children to schools? What’s more, a safe school environment is an important factor of consideration for parents to place their kids. Will more and more schools install cameras on campus as a means to boost the school safety and attract the parents? The issue will be getting more complicated and out of hand.
To sum up, the installation of cameras outside bathrooms in schools can hardly effectively prevent bullying. Instead, it violates students’ privacy and may be exploited as a marketing strategy to enroll more students. Let’s deal with the issue more proactively. Creating a harmonious school climate should be the key.
Yours faithfully,
Pat Li
Pat Li