Appropriate Censorship at High School Level

[theworldneedscolor]

I am a junior in high school, and taking a sports medicine class. Our teacher had a fire fighter and ER trauma nurse talk to us, which for starters, is totally unrelated. But, in my opinion, they were also unnecessarily graphic. The ER nurse showed pictures of people with total body burns, split open heads, missing appendages....and the worst was a man impaled by a stop sign. Today, a fire fighter showed us multiple videos of people on fire, including footage of the Station nightclub fire. Now, I generally handle gore well in tv/movies. But I am still disturbed by these images.

So my question is, do you think this is appropriate to show in a high school? And if you were a parent of a student in my class, would you say something?

 

[Marionnette]

I am a junior in high school, and taking a sports medicine class. Our teacher had a fire fighter and ER trauma nurse talk to us, which for starters, is totally unrelated. But, in my opinion, they were also unnecessarily graphic. The ER nurse showed pictures of people with total body burns, split open heads, missing appendages....and the worst was a man impaled by a stop sign. Today, a fire fighter showed us multiple videos of people on fire, including footage of the Station nightclub fire. Now, I generally handle gore well in tv/movies. But I am still disturbed by these images.

So my question is, do you think this is appropriate to show in a high school? And if you were a parent of a student in my class, would you say something?

High school juniors around here are old enough to drive and go out on their own. Yes, I think it's appropriate to show these kinds of pictures. It gets kids to think about their actions and safety. We do drunk driving demos, complete with staged triage and mangled wreckage parked in the student parking lot, in the week leading up to prom. Teenagers think that they are 8 feet tall and indestructible. They need to be reminded that they aren't. If it saves a life, it's worth it.

 

[Mkrop]

I see NO problem whatsoever with showing those images to high schoolers. If you were left feeling disturbed than the presentation was successful! The graphic images were meant to have you and other teens think before they do anything. EVERY TIME you get behind the wheel of a car, you need to understand the responsibility of driving that machine, you could hurt/kill yourself or others. So no texting, getting distracted etc. It is to make you and other teens THINK before getting into a car if you are drinking behind the wheel or allowing someone else to drive if they have been drinking. There are consquences to these actions and sometimes those actions result in some SERIOUS and GRAPHIC consquences. Most teens unfortunately do no think this can happen to them.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

I'm a former firefighter/EMT/EMT instructor. Yes, it's appropriate. It's horrible to see what the laws of physics can do to a human body. As others have stated, if you're old enough to drive, you're old enough to see the consequences of risky behavior. If you left the class disturbed by what you saw, that's a good thing. You can't change what happened to the people in those images, but what you can do is honor them, by thinking before you do something stupid.

FTR, my kids have seen stuff like that, from a younger age. Usually we start in middle school, but my oldest (now 17) wanted to be a forensic pathologist for a long time, so we watched stuff like "Cadaver Lab" with her when she was 8 or so. We also have plenty of EMT books lying around the house (DH is an EMT and Ski Patroller at present).

 

[4HppyCamprs]

Life happens and at the high school level I think a student can handle those images. Some of the worst horror movies that I don't watch are nc-17. Life is not always clean and palatable. I wish people would show those images to kids when they get their drivers licenses especially the ones that are the results of texting and driving. Are you wanting your parents to complain?

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[mjkacmom]

Our middle school shows students pictures of sexual organs covered in STD's. I have no problem with what you were shown, especially with the issue of teens driving. Our HS just does a big mock-up of bloody kids and a wrecked vehicle on the street in front of the HS.

 

[aubriee]

I agree. As a nurse I've seen so much. I would have no problem with teens being shown those images. Maybe it will cause them to stop and think.

For the last 14 1/2 years I have been a psychiatric RN. Most of the time mental illness is inherited, but alot of what we see in our chronic patients is the result of drug abuse. We have so many patients that have simply fried their brains on drugs and now we get them as either homeless indigent patients or long term patients that will be hospitalized for the rest of their lives. Sometimes I wish I could show videos of these patients to teens experimenting with drugs. Like most teens I'm sure our drug addicted patients always thought it couldn't happen to them. That they could handle the drugs they were using. They didn't realize the destruction they were doing to their brains.

 

[bumbershoot]

A sports medicine class will involve images that are gross, like my athletic injury book that showed an ankle fracture happening in a soccer game, where the sole of the foot was facing the sky.

And so I don't see this as being inappropriate.

When I was in jr high, some HS kids went for a ride at lunch, we're coming down a hill to "catch air", and they were in the air as a garbage truck pulled out from a driveway. They could do nothing. They landed and went under the truck. ONE person lived. He saw what happened to his friends. If he could live through that, we can see the images you are talking about (and what he saw was much MUCH worse), if only so it makes us think about what we are doing. Especially after I met him a couple years later, I really realized how frail we all are, and I have tried to be careful. No joyriding for me. Of course, the HS campus was closed after that incident (it was at lunchtime, and they had enjoyed some beverages at the top of the hill) so there wasn't as much opportunity for later classes to be stupid...

Those images are important, even though horrible. And I'm SUPER sensitive, but still, it's OK.

 

[melancholywings]

I think it is inappropriate and barbaric. Not all kids are the same, or share the same sensitivity to those kind of images. I was shown a couple of films like this in school and it influenced me in unintended ways. Other classmates got off on how gross it was 'Did you see that dude! He was totally sawed in half!'.

Also some kids have a different sensitivity to death and may have had family that that have died in accidents. Or may in the future. The last thing a child who's dealing with that needs is to see is horrific images of accidents. It makes you wonder for the rest of your life if that's how your love one looked, or if that's how they suffered.

Also I question how 'educational' it really is. You don't need to put a kids hand in a flame to teach them it's hot. And I believe it's possible to talk about safety with out 'shock and aweing' a classroom of students with graphic images.

 

[Lizzybean]

Medicine can be "gross." I can't imagine what an Ortho surgeon sees everyday. That's why I'm not an ortho surgeon. I think you should expect graphic images in a medical class. Is this course required or elective? I'm going to guess with confidence it's elective. If you don't like graphic medical images don't take classes like that. I think this course and the material is highly beneficial for students considering a career in medicine, nursing, EMT, fire science etc and it's preparing them for what they will learn and see.

I started college at 17 and one of my majors was criminology. I saw much worse and my friends who went on to work in law enforcement and forensics were glad it helped prepare them for what they would experience.

 

[LilyWDW]

I would have no problem with these images.

1) You are a junior is high school... you are old enough to deal with it.

2) You are in a sports medicine class... you can see some dang bad stuff on the field. If you can't handle some pictures, how will you handle an actual medical emergency? I was a student athletic trainer at my high school. Luckily we didn't have any serious injuries, but they can happen. Have you seen a severe compound fracture of the femur?

 

[Schmeck]

Since this has absolutely nothing to do with Disney, or families for that matter, could a mod move this to the community board please?

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

When I was in high school, everyone taking drivers ed had to watch the film Wheels of Tragedy (it's now on YouTube; I suggest you do not watch it). It was extremely graphic, showing accident victims. I survived.

I'm not sure why you started a thread on a Disney board about this. If you were upset, you should speak with your parents or teacher.

 

[chris31997]

I think it is inappropriate and barbaric. Not all kids are the same, or share the same sensitivity to those kind of images. I was shown a couple of films like this in school and it influenced me in unintended ways. Other classmates got off on how gross it was 'Did you see that dude! He was totally sawed in half!'.

Also some kids have a different sensitivity to death and may have had family that that have died in accidents. Or may in the future. The last thing a child who's dealing with that needs is to see is horrific images of accidents. It makes you wonder for the rest of your life if that's how your love one looked, or if that's how they suffered.

Also I question how 'educational' it really is. You don't need to put a kids hand in a flame to teach them it's hot. And I believe it's possible to talk about safety with out 'shock and aweing' a classroom of students with graphic images.

Poster is taking a sports med class. Granted I don't see how those particular pictures are related to sports med. However, sports injury and injury in general can be graphic. I think it is important to show these kids now what they will be seeing if this is a job they want to be doing. Seeing a leg turned backwards due to a knee dislocation or a compound fracture can be stomach turning. If Poster cannot deal with it now, than maybe a new career needs to e chosen. Some of the best DR/First Responders have the most reverent response to what they see.....it is how they cope.

 

[theworldneedscolor]

First of all, sorry if this isn't allowed to post this. I had seen other OT threads, so I assumed it was okay since I wanted to know a parents perspective. If I misunderstood, please move this to a more appropriate board.

Secondly, this is not an elective. It is our mandatory junior health class. I am not going to be a sports trainer, and most people in my class aren't either.

But thank you all for taking the time to respond. Your answers have been very interesting. I do agree that is important to share safety presentations. For me, statistics are enough to keep me from drinking/texting while driving. But I now see that these images are necessary to teach some teens. However, I do not understand the nightclub fire video. The 100 people who died did nothing wrong. And yet we had to watch a video of them trapped, burning alive. What was that supposed to teach us-how to properly build a nightclub?

I think it is inappropriate and barbaric. Not all kids are the same, or share the same sensitivity to those kind of images. I was shown a couple of films like this in school and it influenced me in unintended ways. Other classmates got off on how gross it was 'Did you see that dude! He was totally sawed in half!'.

Also some kids have a different sensitivity to death and may have had family that that have died in accidents. Or may in the future. The last thing a child who's dealing with that needs is to see is horrific images of accidents. It makes you wonder for the rest of your life if that's how your love one looked, or if that's how they suffered.

Also I question how 'educational' it really is. You don't need to put a kids hand in a flame to teach them it's hot. And I believe it's possible to talk about safety with out 'shock and aweing' a classroom of students with graphic images.

I think more along these lines. Multiple boys in my class made comments like the one you mentioned.

Also, we had a student in our class who's brother in law was hit by a car while watering his lawn a couple months ago. It was a very brutal accident. I can't imagine how awful it was for her to see these.

 

[angelmom27]

When I was in HS we saw a slide show from the health dept of private parts of people with STDs. Including babies affected by it too. Had to have a signed permission slip. Got so sick I almost passed out. Had to leave the class. We also went to an assembly for MADD called scared sober. Saw very graphic pics from accidents of drunk drives. I pretty muched cried the whole time and hid my face in my jacket. A good friend had just been killed that summer when another friend of mine who was driving drunk crashed his truck into a tree and our one friend got ejected. Don't remember if we had to have a signed slip for that one or not.

I don't see anything wrong with it and I think you will be surprised what happens in sporting accidents. Now the fire stuff not sure how that is related.

 

[pinktink83]

As a parent, no, I would not be okay with my child being shown graphic images such as that. True, you'd see images just as bad in a rated R horror movie, but that's why you need to be 18 and older to watch them. I hope my children don't want to watch that kind of stuff when they are older anyways.

It doesn't sound to me like any of those images had anything to do with driving, especially the burning people.

 

[Angel Ariel]

So my question is, do you think this is appropriate to show in a high school? And if you were a parent of a student in my class, would you say something?

I think it's difficult to answer either of those questions without knowing in which context the nurse and the firefighter were presenting the information. Yes, those kinds of images can be shocking and inappropriate depending on how they are used - but context is absolutely important.

 

[cornflake]

Given it was a health class, not sports medicine really (I'm confused as to the point of the class and the presentation as a whole thing, really), I'd think the nightclub was included in the general 'learn to not do X to stay safer or...' way. I mean I agree the people killed did nothing wrong, but they were all trying to get out one door I think. Always know where exits are, etc.

Like if you didn't see in the news, a man was pushed onto the tracks in the subway the other day here, and was hit by an oncoming train and killed. It's horrible, it's very rare, and it obviously wasn't his fault.

However, one site I saw used it to ask a couple of people from the transit authority and such what the best thing to do if you end up on the subway tracks with a train coming at you is. It was interesting, because it's sortof counterintuitive btw - apparently run away is the answer.

So... maybe it was included in that 'when you walk into an unfamiliar, crowded space, like a club or plane or etc., locate the exits in case' way? Otherwise I got nuttin.

As a parent, no, I would not be okay with my child being shown graphic images such as that. True, you'd see images just as bad in a rated R horror movie, but that's why you need to be 18 and older to watch them. I hope my children don't want to watch that kind of stuff when they are older anyways.

It doesn't sound to me like any of those images had anything to do with driving, especially the burning people.

I think it was general safety maybe. Also, just for the heck of it, and this only applies if you're in the U.S., but the rating suggestion is 17 for R rated movies, but it is just that, a suggestion. It carries no force or weight whatsoever. Individual theatres can enforce their own ratings rules, like only allowing kids to see R-rated things if their parents buy the ricket, but that's the theatre.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Okay, there's a big difference between a "sports medicine" class and a "mandatory health" class. This was even more appropriate for a health class.

Personally, I'm with you--I don't need graphic images to convince me not to drink and drive and so forth. But, they have to gear these things for all students. I know my oldest saw a graphic video as part of driver's ed.--again, a place where it makes sense, it didn't bother her, and she's also the type to recognixe the stupidity of texting and driving and so forth.

If the images are continuing to bother you, I suggest you talk to your parents or a guidance counselor.

I want to tell you a little story--I remember the day I realized I had to become an EMT. I was a firefighter, and we got a call to a local campground. A 15yo boy was unresponsive in the pool. It was awful. I was watching the ambulance crew, desperately performing CPR, while his family watched. His mother was screaming, his sister was sobbing, and this perfectly healthy-looking boy was on a stretcher, dead. And I was...directing traffic. I decided then and there that next time, I couldn't just stand around. I couldn't do nothing. I had to at least try. So, I became an EMT, and I have many positive stories (including reversing cardiac arrest).

My point is, there are different ways of dealing with the more disturbing part of life. If you've come away from this class with a changed outlook, it's up to you to channel that into something productive.

As a postscript, an autopsy revealed that the 15yo had a previously undiagnosed heart condition. There was nothing anyone could have done for him. That's good to know, but it doesn't wipe the images from my mind.