School teaches valuable lesson about drunk driving through searing psychological trauma
posted at 5:15 pm on June 12, 2008 by Allahpundit
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The idea, I take it, is to render the child incapable of drinking and driving by leaving him sobbing uncontrollably in the fetal position.
Part prank, part cautionary tale, all nuance.
On a Monday morning last month, highway patrol officers visited 20 classrooms at El Camino High School to announce some horrible news: Several students had been killed in car wrecks over the weekend.
Classmates wept. Some became hysterical.
A few hours and many tears later, though, the pain turned to fury when the teenagers learned that it was all a hoax—a scared-straight exercise designed by school officials to dramatize the consequences of drinking and driving…
“They were traumatized, but we wanted them to be traumatized,” said guidance counselor Lori Tauber, who helped organize the shocking exercise and got dozens of students to participate. “That’s how they get the message.”
The plan was to tell the truth to the students at an assembly later in the day. But word that it was all a hoax began to spread before the gathering. Tauber said some counselors and administrators revealed the truth to calm some students who had become upset.
Coming soon to sex ed class: “You have AIDS.” Exit question: You’d sue, wouldn’t you? It’s a slam dunk!
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Not that much different than the Every 15 Minutes program, which is excellent.
Bob's Kid on June 12, 2008 at 5:19 PM
Finally some common sense.
freevillage on June 12, 2008 at 5:20 PM
The only ones who won’t get over it are the kids of liberals. Scare the crap out of them and watch the fun unfold.
GoodBoy on June 12, 2008 at 5:20 PM
A sophomoric plan.
Dr. Manhattan on June 12, 2008 at 5:23 PM
In the town I used to live in, they have police or paramedics come in during class and “take away” a kid who was “killed” in a car accident by a drunk driver. The parents and students are in the know of this beforehand. Even so, the parents have been known to become upset when the police show up at their homes to tell them their child is dead. They say that even though it was all planned, it is still hard to hear someone say your kid is dead. It seems to work quite well to get the point across.
What this other school did is horrible. Talk about traumatizing. When I was 10, 3 friends of mine were killed by a drunk driver. I know how it feels to find out someone you know and have grown up with is dead. The school went about this the wrong way.
StephC on June 12, 2008 at 5:23 PM
Suprise kids, all your parents are unemployed and sharia law has been implemented! Just kidding, still got two more years…
Meric1837 on June 12, 2008 at 5:24 PM
Teachers leave them kids alone. Hey Teacher! Leave them kids alone!
TheBigOldDog on June 12, 2008 at 5:24 PM
This was a bit extreme.
pullingmyhairout on June 12, 2008 at 5:26 PM
So when is the next time that any of these students is going to believe ANYTHING their teachers or school officials tell them?
Maxx on June 12, 2008 at 5:29 PM
I’ve been emotionally traumatized and now must seek professional counseling. Fire up the lawsuits.
danking70 on June 12, 2008 at 5:29 PM
Nope. If I had a kid who was a “mark” for a stunt like this, as soon as I got the news I’d march into the school, kid at my side, walk up to each administrator involved in it, one by one, and tell them:
“Thank you for teaching my kid one of the most important lessons of his life: that people in positions of authority will lie to him whenever it suits their agenda, and never to take anything that an authority figure says at face value again.
“Now, having taught that lesson, don’t you ever dare speak to or come near my kid again, you son of a bitch.”
And then I’d immediately pull the kid out of the school and enroll him somewhere else.
Alex_SF on June 12, 2008 at 5:30 PM
There’s gotta be a better way.
indythinker on June 12, 2008 at 5:30 PM
Unless these particular kids had been given a DUI, there is no reason to do something like this.
There are better, more effective ways to combat drunk driving. As a former hater of authority (yes, even eric cartman’s) nothing turns people (kids) off nice common sense then a feeling of being manipulated by authority figures.
VolMagic on June 12, 2008 at 5:31 PM
Nope. If I had a kid who was a “mark” for a stunt like this, as soon as I got the news I’d march into the school, kid at my side, walk up to each administrator involved in it, one by one, and tell them:
“Thank you for teaching my kid one of the most important lessons of his life: that people in positions of authority will lie to him whenever it suits their agenda, and never to take anything that an authority figure says at face value again.
“Now, having taught that lesson, don’t you ever speak to or come near my kid again, you son of a bitch.”
And then I’d immediately pull the kid out of the school and enroll him somewhere else.
Alex_SF on June 12, 2008 at 5:31 PM
It isn’t any worse then friends playing a prank.
But you can’t tell school to drop dead afterwards.
upinak on June 12, 2008 at 5:32 PM
Over the top. Typical left-wingnut shotgun approach. If a problem is complicated, solve it with a broad, indiscriminant, and painful program that punishes everyone, whether at risk or not, and probably does just as much harm as good.
Of course a useful program would require politically unacceptable tactics, such as profiling at risk kids and getting their parents involved and accountable.
peski on June 12, 2008 at 5:33 PM
Another case for home-schooling.
Enrique on June 12, 2008 at 5:33 PM
These types of teaching methods only end up angering the students and seldom generate the desired results
My fencing coach would purposely whack a student right across the face mask with his sword when they would least expect it. He said it got them to understand what being hit in the face was like and would discourage them from hitting other s in the face. I told him that with those types of teaching methods he would be very unpopular at my shooting club. The strange thing was that he never did it again and instead used a more positive method to teach proper fencing technique.
jmarcure on June 12, 2008 at 5:35 PM
Nope. If I had a kid in that class, I’d march in to the school, walk up to each teacher and administrator who participated in the hoax, with my kid by my side, and tell them:
“Thank you for teaching my son one of the most important lessons in his life. Namely, that people in positions of authority will lie to you whenever it suits their agenda, and that he shouldn’t take anything they say at face value.”
“Now, having taught him that lesson, don’t you dare ever speak to or come near him again, you son of a bitch.”
And then I’d pull him out of the school and enroll him somewhere else.
Alex_SF on June 12, 2008 at 5:35 PM
The only thing that accomplished was making the kids think the authorities are liars.
Whoopee. Brilliance.
MadisonConservative on June 12, 2008 at 5:36 PM
I bet El Camino High School is a public school, isn’t it?
Maxx on June 12, 2008 at 5:36 PM
Based on my HS graduating class, I doubt it will work. There were only about 70 kids in my graduating class, and they had either all known each other since kindergarten or 7th grade depending on where they lived. I had transferred to the school in 10th grade, but the rest of the students were pretty close regardless of which social group they may have belonged. They lost one in 11th grade when he wrapped his car around a tree. The school was shut down and everyone was allowed to go home early when the news was announced. A year and a half later, right after we graduation, we lost another two or three recent grads plus a couple of underclassmen in a single drunk driving accident.
The school admins parked what was left of that wrecked car in front of the school for a few weeks. I doubt that that did much to deter drinking and driving in that school.
rw on June 12, 2008 at 5:37 PM
Not terribly different than something that happened in my second week of Basic Training, being told Uncle Ron had declared war on Libya. Sure as heck got our heads in the game.
And consequently prompted us to start sneaking someone out of the barracks every morning before roll-call to get a newspaper so we weren’t taken by surprise again. For me that started a life-long addiction to news of world!
–Hal
hburns on June 12, 2008 at 5:37 PM
Icing on the cake? Having the (once)trusted police in on the stunt.
(thanks for the link, AP)
Cuffy Meigs on June 12, 2008 at 5:37 PM
Nope. If I had a kid in that class, I’d march in to the school, walk up to each teacher and administrator who participated in the hoax, with my kid by my side, and tell them:
“Thank you for teaching my son one of the most important lessons in his life. Namely, that people in positions of authority will lie to you whenever it suits their agenda, and that he shouldn’t take anything they say at face value.”
“Now, having taught him that lesson, don’t you dare ever speak to or come near him again, you son of a b*tch.”
And then I’d pull him out of the school and enroll him somewhere else.
Alex_SF on June 12, 2008 at 5:38 PM
Stupid. They weren’t thinking about the fact that if they simply were drunk driving they wouldn’t be dead. They were thinking about the fact that their friend was supposedly dead.
If anything it accomplished making them not trust authorities.
amerpundit on June 12, 2008 at 5:38 PM
A stupid stunt. Take kids to a morgue and let them see a real person that was killed in a drunk driving accident, but don’t lie to them. Reminds me of the stunt last year in TN when teachers staged a fake gun attack.
http://themediansib.com/2007/05/14/teachers-stage-fake-gun-attack-on-kids-in-tennessee/
themediansib on June 12, 2008 at 5:39 PM
Except you weren’t an emotionally-charged teenager who thought his/her friend was dead.
Agreed. Let them see the effects of drunk driving. Scare them that way.
amerpundit on June 12, 2008 at 5:40 PM
Hmmm… if we used these tactics on POWs it would be considered Torture…
I don’t care why they did it, I have a problem with ANYONE telling lies, expecialy someone in an authority position.
Romeo13 on June 12, 2008 at 5:40 PM
Amen! Well said.
TheBigOldDog on June 12, 2008 at 5:43 PM
So now can the students do a Columbine like prank on the administration to show what can happen if you f*** with a teenagers mind?
SPCOlympics on June 12, 2008 at 5:45 PM
Good lord. After a day at school like that I bet many of the kids needed a drink.
Vote Sauron 08 on June 12, 2008 at 5:46 PM
Good thing none of the students tried to pray after this tragic new, they would have been arrested.
Maxx on June 12, 2008 at 5:48 PM
As a teacher, I’d love to rip into the jackass who came up with this idea in the lunchroom.
Little Boomer on June 12, 2008 at 5:49 PM
It’s sure effective: those students have learned it’s perfectly acceptable to lie, as long as the intent is good.
Looking up, I see Alex_SF covered the point very well.
deesine on June 12, 2008 at 5:55 PM
I’m sure the administrators won’t mind then if a parent pretends to be a police officer and calls to notify them that their spouse was killed in a car accident.
After all, they’d just be trying to raise awareness for using seat belts.
Hollowpoint on June 12, 2008 at 5:56 PM
Students below the College level, have no rights in school except express protection against physical harm. Only punishments attributed to school-going children can be overturned by courts of law.
PresidenToor on June 12, 2008 at 6:02 PM
Dang, very sorry about the multiple posts. It wasn’t accepting my post the first time I tried, so I did it a few more times. Thought it was the mild cuss word that was getting caught in a filter or something.
Don’t ban me for spamming, bro!
Alex_SF on June 12, 2008 at 6:04 PM
They did something similar at my high school the year after I graduated, but everyone knew it wasn’t actually real. They even paraded the “dead” people around in makeup.
That is really messed up.
Esthier on June 12, 2008 at 6:09 PM
First of all, you can bet that El Camino High School has had there share of drunk driving deaths. Most large high schools have, they don’t need a reality check.
Add in the fact that this is Oceanside, where Camp Pendleton Marine base feeds the school, you can bet the kids know all to well the finality of death. I would bet more then a few have either brothers or fathers serving in Iraq.
This just shows you that Administrators, with all their degrees, still aren’t very smart.
right2bright on June 12, 2008 at 6:09 PM
…Ummmm… Nope. We were emotionally charged teenagers who thought *WE* would soon be dead!
hburns on June 12, 2008 at 6:09 PM
I agree there has to be a better way, unless the administrators and educators at that school believe they have a population of students that is not capable of processing information with any more sophistication than Pavlov’s Dog.
And yes, teaching kids it’s okay to lie only if it’s absolutely convenient is wrong. It’s down right Clintonian.
doufree on June 12, 2008 at 6:11 PM
Well, we know one poster who hasn’t had a reality check…
Now what was the wrong that the girl did?
You could fill a library full of lawsuits.
Ever hear of a school being sued for teaching creationism?
Phyiscal pushisment is in the minority when it comes to lawsuits.
right2bright on June 12, 2008 at 6:18 PM
The phrase “Judgment to Lead” comes to mind. WWBHOD ?
timpstewart on June 12, 2008 at 6:18 PM
Hmm, let me see. Falsely traumatizing already emotionally unstable teenagers in oder to make a point about a very serious issue. Sounds like great science.
BRB, I’m going to tell my kids that their mother died today because they failed to clean their rooms.
Claypigeon on June 12, 2008 at 6:23 PM
Thank you! Exactly right.
NO END justifies telling lies to a child, or a teen. Never. Those people don’t deserve the trust of the students any more.
inviolet on June 12, 2008 at 6:25 PM
If you knew for a fact that it prevented one or more of them from killing themselves or someone else in a drunk driving incident, would it be worth it?
TheUnrepentantGeek on June 12, 2008 at 6:26 PM
This was callous, stupid and mostly totally ineffective. All this is likely to do is to create rage against the educational authority and as was noted above teach kids not to trust those is authority. I’d bet you that the disrespect factor of students towards teachers and administrators skyrockets at this school.
How’d you like to be told that your neighbor or a dear friend was killed and then find out it was a hoax? Even as an adult you’d be outraged. To say this to teenagers is dreadful.
INC on June 12, 2008 at 6:30 PM
mostly totally ineffective s/b most likely totally ineffective
INC on June 12, 2008 at 6:31 PM
Damn Straight, Alex. Except I’d probably have to go to court for my simple assault charge for bitch-slapping the guidance counselor.
Fishoutofwater on June 12, 2008 at 6:33 PM
The good news is that another day passed without the kids learning to read or write. So, an inescapable Democratic majority more closely approaches.
snaggletoothie on June 12, 2008 at 6:34 PM
Time to close the public school down tight, sell all the buildings to the highest bidders and privatize the entire system. The public schools have become dangerous places for children, American’s should demand that they be abolished. This story is just one more reason why.
Maxx on June 12, 2008 at 6:36 PM
Exactly. If it’s not ok to do it to an adult, it’s not ok to do it to a kid. I agree with Alex SF and all the commenters who don’t want their kids heads screwed with at school. Public education does enough damage already.
JustTruth101 on June 12, 2008 at 6:50 PM
No.
Esthier on June 12, 2008 at 6:56 PM
what are they going to do about domestic abuse? tell a kid her mother was killed by her abusive step-father?
“oh, calm down honey, it was just a lie to get you to report incidents of domestic abuse.”
RMC1618 on June 12, 2008 at 7:03 PM
But don’t you DARE traumatize a terrorist at Gitmo. Really,that is worse than anything we are accused of down there.
Sounds like something that would happen on South Park
redshirt on June 12, 2008 at 7:04 PM
Here are links to all the contact emails at that psycho-babble hellhole excuse for school. I’d be in jail right now for assault if my kid had been in that school.
http://www.echs.oside.k12.ca.us/
Fishoutofwater on June 12, 2008 at 7:08 PM
If you knew that keeping all the kids home under lock and key would prevent “killing themselves or someone else in a drunk driving incident, would it be worth it?”
If you knew having a person assigned to them night and day…
If you knew that having every kid in high school not allowed to drive…
If you knew that a curfew of 9pm for all high school…
If you knew how stupid that argument is…
right2bright on June 12, 2008 at 7:09 PM
You’re a lot more patient and kind then me.
right2bright on June 12, 2008 at 7:10 PM
That’s horrible. There are other and more effective ways to teach kids about the dangers of drunk driving.
SoulGlo on June 12, 2008 at 7:18 PM
Great, now while you’re at it, please tell the youngsters that global warming is a big fat hoax perpetrated by collectivist utopians. We’re not all going to die, and we’re sure as hell not killing the polar bears.
jeff_from_mpls on June 12, 2008 at 7:21 PM
My daughters SADD group did something like this but they had the grim reaper pull students out of class and later at an assembly explained why the students were taken. It actually was a wonderful program
CaCa on June 12, 2008 at 7:22 PM
That I get, this other I don’t get it.
right2bright on June 12, 2008 at 7:44 PM
Instead of pushing all these social goals through the school system maybe we should, I don;t know, let the parents do their own job, and have the schools on teaching actual scholastic topics- like math and reading.
Sackett on June 12, 2008 at 7:46 PM
Actually, I’m unsure of my position on this and honestly wanted to know what people thought. There’s no need to jump on me.
But, for the purpose of the discussion, I’ll take the bait. Why is the argument stupid?
Isn’t comparing a single traumatic “lesson” with revoking driving privileges indefinitely or posting constant watch on a child taking the concept to a ridiculous degree?
We all make choices to restrict freedom or impose penalties to teach our children. Some parents spank, some use time out. Some judge spanking cruel and even worthy of having one’s children taken away. These things are on a continuum, and I like to know what makes this particularly worse? Is it the element of deception? Is it the emotional pain?
TheUnrepentantGeek on June 12, 2008 at 7:52 PM
Horsewhip the parties responsible, then tell them they weren’t really horsewhipped.
Akzed on June 12, 2008 at 7:54 PM
How do you know that he came up with this idea in the lunchroom, teacher?
Akzed on June 12, 2008 at 7:56 PM
Dude?
“I just want you to know we’re all counting on you, good luck.”
reaganaut on June 12, 2008 at 8:12 PM
Wow, I can’t believe another school would try this so quickly… Red Eye (among others) covered another school doing this like a month or two ago.
RightWinged on June 12, 2008 at 8:27 PM
I noticed that a few others mentioned the Every 15 Minutes program, which they did at my high school not too long ago. The only difference was that someone in a grim reaper costume came and walked a kid (who knew beforehand) out of class instead of just scaring the pants off of everyone by saying a classmate was dead (which is pretty sick.) The traumatizing part for us was the mock funeral staged the next day, accompanied with a video depicting parents “learning” about their children’s “deaths” and going to the hospital or morgue. Do I think it was effective, though? No. Some of the kids involved in the project showed up passed-out drunk at subsequent parties and “sober” grad anyway.
MB007 on June 12, 2008 at 8:47 PM
Yes and yes. The deception undermines trust in authority figures (which maybe isn’t all that bad a thing, I guess). But the emotional manipulation is sick. Particularly since adolescents are emotionally volatile by nature and thus hypersensitive to this kind of thing, especially in today’s culture of wallowing in maudlin grief-orgies after every tragedy, crime, or accident that results in the death of young people.
So it’s a cheap stunt, a shot below the belt if you will. And to make it worse, the trauma (and then the rug-pulling-out “just kidding” afterward) is applied indiscriminately, even to kids who would never even think of drinking and driving — because I guess since you never know who’s at risk, you have to make everybody suffer, right? Reminds me of the justification for the TSA strip-searching little old ladies at airports.
I particularly hate the “if it saves just one life” justification for silliness, especially when there are too many “what ifs” to tell whether the silliness made any difference or not. Though I’m sure that if grad night goes off this year without any students being killed in drunken driving crashes, these administrators will rush to take the credit. Invisible tiger repellent, anybody?
(clicking just once this time …)
Alex_SF on June 12, 2008 at 9:10 PM
Awesome. Anybody who thinks otherwise is a pussy.
Darth Executor on June 12, 2008 at 9:32 PM
my school did a ‘play’.. the entire school sat in the football bleachers and watched a car that was already wrecked in the middle of the football field.. the local ambulance was there to take the ‘injured’ to the hospitable.. a few days later, on the CCTV, showed the aftermath of it all with a drama student (who’s acting sucked… we all laughed at him) ending up on trial and going to jail because he got drunk, tried to drive, got into a wreck, killed his girlfriend, and went to jail..
This is the closest thing I think South Park has done like that..
DaveC on June 12, 2008 at 11:16 PM
I agree.
A severe ploy, but a lesson hammered home, never to be forgotten.
The only people traumatized, I bet, are a handful of parents and a gaggle of commenters at HotAir.com
SlimyBill on June 12, 2008 at 11:28 PM
Yet another reason to homeschool.
Occasus on June 12, 2008 at 11:51 PM
Man! Do any of you people have teenagers? Do you realize how thickheaded they are? I’ve pushed two through that stage, and let me tell you, anything, ANYTHING short of physical harm that wakes then the frack up is OK in my book.
I understand, and even agree with the desire to have the schools stick to what they should be doing… a.k.a. Readin’ Writin’ & ‘Rithmatic. But, if they’re involved in this touchy-feely crap, at least this one might stick.
hburns on June 12, 2008 at 11:54 PM
In the end it’ll have the effect that Reefer Madness did.
- The Cat
Said the man behind the keyboard :)
MirCat on June 13, 2008 at 12:25 AM
A-M-E-N!!!
labrat on June 13, 2008 at 4:27 AM
So this is what passes for “guidance counselling” in this brave new world.
labrat on June 13, 2008 at 4:58 AM
What would have happened to one of these students who made the same false statement to a highway patrol officer?
labrat on June 13, 2008 at 5:11 AM
“And that’s why you always leave a note.” – The one armed man
Kevin M on June 13, 2008 at 7:14 AM
The concept of telling kids the truth about any subject is the best way of getting through to them. They are capable of making their own decisions based on rational thought.
But, never play with their heads, especially by lying to them, because it breaks the bond of trust.
Once that bond is broken they begin experimenting with things that are harmful for them. Because, if the only one they can trust is themselves they will find out why things are bad for them on their own.
MSGTAS on June 13, 2008 at 9:26 AM
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