In examining student searches from a critical theory perspective, one considers who is being searched, who does the searching and by what authority, and how searching reinforces existing power structures. This article addresses these questions and related concepts (discipline, criminal/deviant behavior, punishment, and rehabilitation) by applying…

In recent years, public school students have been searched with metal detectors and occasionally sniffed by dogs or strip searched. Their lockers and bookbags have been searched, and their urine has been tested for drugs--all in the name of school safety. This article explores the legal ramifications of such searches and calls for a critical…

Describes how and why enemies are created in pursuit of school security. Shows how administrators, with the judicial system's assistance, have applied that process to certain types of students to justify school officials' increasingly intrusive searches for a wide range of infractions. Suggests alternative approaches. (25 references) (MLH)