# Students, parents agree to pepper spray for XCR in high school. Wha...? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 17, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863 "2017-05-17T18:50:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/1 "2017-05-17T18:50:37Z")
Caution: I found the video, which I have provided the link for below, to be very upsetting and not at all funny (although some folks apparently do). At a high school in Ohio, students in a criminal science class allowed themselves to be hit with pepper spray in the face after receiving parental consent and an explanation of the effects from law enforcement. Extra credit was their “reward.” > **[Video of students getting pepper sprayed at Ohio school leaves many...](https://www.cleveland19.com/story/35451265/barberton-students-pepper-sprayed-for-science-project-goes-viral-video/)** > > A video of students from Barberton High School getting pepper sprayed is being shared widely online, and many are asking questions about what happened. My comments: 1. There has to be a better way to offer and receive XCR. 2. I would never have given consent for this. 3. What’s next? Taser for XCR? What do you think? ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/2 "2017-05-17T19:09:42Z")
They and their parents gave consent. What’s the problem? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/3 "2017-05-17T19:18:08Z")
These were students in the Criminal Science Technology Career Tech program. The training is part of the curriculum and allows them to obtain industry credentials. As long as they had a professional instructor (a former police chief) and parental permission, it seems reasonable to me. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/4 "2017-05-17T19:28:36Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > What do you think? I think that if someone is going into a criminal justice career where there is a possibility they may use pepper spray on another human being then having first-hand experience of what that is like may be useful information. Provided that all parties are informed of the risks/effects, proper consent is given, and it’s not mandatory I have no objection. This sort of thing should be subject to some scrutiny to prevent potential abuse, but really, the only thing unusual I see here is the youth of the participants - many police officers have undergone being pepper sprayed or tasered as part of training in the use of minimally lethal force. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/5 "2017-05-17T19:30:22Z")
I see know obvious problem for students to experience pepper spray if they are well informed, sufficiently curious, and have parental consent. I do agree with the OP however, it seems like students may be coerced into agreeing with the promise of extra credit. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/6 "2017-05-17T20:28:12Z")
> [@vivalostwages](#): > > 1. There has to be a better way to offer and receive XCR. For me, the problem with this whole scenario isn’t the pepper spray; it’s the extra credit. Extra credit is, quite frankly, bullshit. It’s a sop to students by teachers who don’t want to maintain proper standards. It is also, quite often, an unfair advantage to students who have more extra time on their hands, and/or who (as in this case) are willing to do something that really isn’t a necessary part of the curriculum. The course syllabus should make clear what the requirements of the course are, and should hold all students accountable for the same assignments and level of work. No more, and no less. Extra credit added on during the semester is unfair to students who can’t take advantage of it, and if you’re including regular course activities to give students the option to get more than 100% on the class then that is, as [this guy](https://smallpondscience.com/2013/08/29/extra-credit-is-unfair-to-students/) nicely puts it, “spreadsheet voodoo.” ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/7 "2017-05-17T20:45:17Z")
[How informed were they about the actual dangers of pepper spray](https://www.forbes.com/sites/judystone/2016/03/16/lethal-in-disguise-the-health-hazards-of-pepper-spray/#3e43811b2979) before they gave consent? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/8 "2017-05-17T20:54:28Z")
Where are you seeing that it’s for extra credit? The article you linked to doesn’t say extra credit. [Buzzfeed’s article](https://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/pepper-spray-class?utm_term=.qp9jYPrPl#.qwAwyEPE5)specifically says it is not for extra credit. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/9 "2017-05-17T21:18:14Z")
I think they should have been shown a video similar to this one before consenting. After that, have at it. mmm ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/10 "2017-05-17T21:30:50Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Where are you seeing that it’s for extra credit? The article you linked to doesn’t say extra credit. [Buzzfeed’s article](https://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/pepper-spray-class?utm_term=.qp9jYPrPl#.qwAwyEPE5)specifically says it is not for extra credit. You’re right. The OP’s linked story also, as far as I can tell, never mentions extra credit. I was just basing my argument on the claims made by the OP. Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/11 "2017-05-17T23:43:08Z")
I’ve been tear-gassed, Maced and pepper-sprayed. Nobody ever gave me any extra credit. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![boffking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/858c86/32.png) [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/12 "2017-05-18T00:52:30Z")
I don’t see the issue. As long as all who participated in this did so willingly. Somebody taking a criminal justice course may need to use pepper spray in the future, and they should understand the effects of it. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/13 "2017-05-18T02:22:18Z")
It appears that the premise of the OP is flawed since with wasn’t for extra credit. That would be the only things I would really have objections to. From the linked article. > [@](#): > > Each student signed a waiver to participate and got written permission from their parents – so they’re not sure why this whole thing has turned into such a big deal. (sniped ) > > Students do the exercise yearly. The goal of the training is to get an industry recognized credential for a law and public safety course. This has been done yearly and according to the TV report linked in the Buzzfield article, the kids had been tased last year. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/14 "2017-05-18T02:38:34Z")
I thought the video was a tad extreme, but I was tear-gassed at 17 and had to do all of the drills as part of my training. It wasn’t fun, but I survived. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/15 "2017-05-18T02:57:20Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Where are you seeing that it’s for extra credit? The article you linked to doesn’t say extra credit. [Buzzfeed’s article](https://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/pepper-spray-class?utm_term=.qp9jYPrPl#.qwAwyEPE5)specifically says it is not for extra credit. Sorry, I linked to the one article that didn’t mention XCR like so many others did. > **[Students Given Extra Credit for Taking Blast of Pepper Spray in the Face](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/students-given-extra-credit-for-taking-blast-of-pepper-spray-in-the-face/2064341/)** > > Students at Barberton High School in Ohio got extra credit for being voluntarily pepper-sprayed as part of their criminal science technology class, and video of the incident has gone viral, the “Today” show reported. Video of the exercise shows the... [http://www.wgrz.com/news/video-of-barberton-students-getting-voluntarily-pepper-sprayed-goes-viral/440440743](http://www.wgrz.com/news/video-of-barberton-students-getting-voluntarily-pepper-sprayed-goes-viral/440440743) ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/16 "2017-05-18T03:09:24Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Where are you seeing that it’s for extra credit? The article you linked to doesn’t say extra credit. [Buzzfeed’s article](https://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/pepper-spray-class?utm_term=.qp9jYPrPl#.qwAwyEPE5)specifically says it is not for extra credit. > **[Teens volunteer to get pepper sprayed for criminal science class project](https://www.today.com/news/teens-volunteer-get-pepper-sprayed-criminal-science-class-project-t111653)** > > A viral video shows some Ohio high school students getting pepper sprayed as part of their criminal science technology class. It said they got extra credit right here on this link ! I wonder if the kids knew how painful getting this 'extra credit ’ would had agreed to do it ! From what I saw on the news I never agreed for my child to do this . I was thinking WTF ! when I saw this on the news tonight . ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/17 "2017-05-18T04:09:33Z")
I think WKYC (a station local to Barberton) may have erroneously reported that they got extra credit and those other sites picked it up, and WKYC corrected. I actually tend to believe the reporting in BuzzFeed when it comes to viral video junk. Local news channels just throw up junk to fill time but BuzzFeed actually will contact the source/parties in the video/Tweet/photo/meme etc. But grrr “XCR” yeah boo! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/18 "2017-05-18T04:24:19Z")
Here’s the local paper: [http://www.ohio.com/news/local/video-goes-viral-after-barberton-students-voluntarily-get-pepper-sprayed-in-criminal-science-class-1.767744](http://www.ohio.com/news/local/video-goes-viral-after-barberton-students-voluntarily-get-pepper-sprayed-in-criminal-science-class-1.767744) The other local paper: [Barberton High School students pepper sprayed in the face for criminal justice class, shown in viral video - cleveland.com](http://www.cleveland.com/akron/index.ssf/2017/05/barberton_high_school_students.html) Another local tv station: [http://fox8.com/2017/05/17/watch-barberton-high-school-students-volunteer-to-get-pepper-sprayed-as-part-of-class-lesson/](http://fox8.com/2017/05/17/watch-barberton-high-school-students-volunteer-to-get-pepper-sprayed-as-part-of-class-lesson/) The third local station: [http://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/oh-summit/video-barberton-high-school-students-get-pepper-sprayed-for-class](http://www.news5cleveland.com/news/local-news/oh-summit/video-barberton-high-school-students-get-pepper-sprayed-for-class) None say extra credit. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/19 "2017-05-18T12:09:46Z")
Either way, at least I learned that all the cool kids today are calling it “XCR.” — VT, Stationary Time-Traveler ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863/20 "2017-05-18T14:49:33Z")
Didn’t the police do this in “Superbad”? It seems like comedy gold. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/students-parents-agree-to-pepper-spray-for-xcr-in-high-school-wha/786863.md?page=2)