Detention Policy

Questions:

1. Why do you get detention?
2. Is detention effective in deterring you from breaking rules?
3. What do you think of while sitting in detention?

New Questions:

1. What is a solution for a new detention policy?
2. What are the characteristics of an effective detention?

Current Behavioral Punishment at Saint Mary's

• Detention (30 minutes up to 6 hours)

Is it effective?

Based on the student survey, detention is seen more as a chore than a punishment.  Most [female] students that are not deterred by the detention policy have become more sneaky in two ways:
1) avoid Shum at all costs (avoid St. Joe's Hall)
2) wear a scarf when outside of class
The students who saw detention as a deterrent for breaking school rules had some things in common:
1) most had never actually had a detention
2) most were afraid of Shum
both of these tie into fear of the unknown.
Solutions/Ways to Improve:
1) have all teachers enforce dress code inside of classrooms
2) increase the severity of the punishment for repeat offenders (ex. 5 detentions in a month leads to a 1 hour before school morning detention)

10 Most Important Pieces of Information

1. Most students who found it effective had not had detention before
2. Most who do not find it effective have had a detention
3. Students have learned ways to avoid detention
4. Most students didn't have detention until they came to high school
5. Teachers found it effective but in need of improvement
6. Reasons for detention varied between gender and grade
7. Girls found dress code sexist
8. People who haven't had detention are the ones who fear it the most
9. Students believe that detention only addresses the immediate problem, not the deeper issue
10. More girls received detention than boys