The student handbook clearly states: “Public Displays of Affection are not permitted. Hand holding and brief friendly hugs are permissible.” Why, then, do we see it so often?
There are some teachers who don’t pay attention to PDA, because it is no use stressing over an issue that will likely never be resolved since the culprits involved are a bunch of “in love” hormone-crazed teenagers. We all know that every teenager has authority issues to some extent, and who is really going to care about one school rule when it involves your relationship? You would do anything for that one special person, wouldn’t you? So who cares about the possibility of a silly detention? I mean, it is your life and you do have rights ... right?
Well, especially for any of us who have taken Mr. Carter’s Comparative Government class, you know that while we are in school, we give up some of those rights. For example, if you are at a store or a restaurant with your boyfriend/girlfriend and you kiss them, you have the right to do so. Chances are no one will say anything and you won’t get in trouble. However, when you kiss or make out with your boyfriend/girlfriend in the hallways at school, students react and teachers either call you out or at least notice and keep an eye on you from time to time. Think of school as your job. Wherever you work, you have to abide by the rules. You have to follow the dress code, behavioral rules and more. If you do not follow those rules then you get punished. These punishments, however, will differ greatly. In school you get warnings and detentions. At work, you can get fired.
How many times a day do you witness PDA? Once? Maybe twice? Many of us witness it two or three times on our way to each of our classes, which is a problem. Some people may think it’s cute or they may make jokes about it just for fun, but the real issues are the reactions we do not see or hear. That’s right. A lot of people -- young people -- get disgusted when they witness PDA.
When I asked how often they witness PDA in our school over the course of one day, 40 percent of students asked said 1-10 times, 20 percent say 10-20 times, and 40 percent say they witness it multiple times whenever they are in the hallway. This is clearly an issue.
Also, when asked how they feel about PDA in the school hallways, one student said “I feel like it is a distraction to my learning.” Another student said “If you care that much about someone, you don’t have to show the whole world.” Many students said PDA is disgusting or unacceptable, while some said it does not bother them. Some students even say that they see some people get away with more than others do.
Which leads us to the next question: “How well do you think the teachers do enforcing the ‘No PDA’ rule?” This question was particularly interesting. Many students believe that the teachers just don’t enforce the rule or that they only care about the more extreme things, others say they do enforce it but are not successful. Some students even said, “There’s a rule?” If the majority of students are saying that nothing is really being done, something is wrong.
According to students, most PDA occurs in the stairwells, where hallways branch out on both floors, and especially right outside of classrooms. If this is the case, why isn’t it being stopped? Do teachers really know how students feel about the PDA in our school? If not, would they make it clear that they are trying to fix it? My answer is this: it is not solely the teachers’ job. It is everyone’s job. We as a school should work to stop or at least reduce PDA. If it bothers you, tell someone. If you are a common offender, save it for outside of school. A relationship should be between two people - not the whole school.
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