In 2017 the Times Education Supplement ran a poll asking teachers whether they would be willing to wear a bodycam to combat misbehaviour in their classes. Of the 600 teachers who replied 37% said that they would be willing to wear a bodycam. Additionally, two thirds of respondents said that they would feel safer in the classroom if there was a camera recording everything.
For many schools and pupil referral units, installing CCTV in every classroom isn’t logistically or financially viable, but providing staff with bodycams can create the sense of security that they need, whilst also visibly showing that misbehaviour will be caught and dealt with. NCS Technology recently worked with a Pupil Referral Unit, supplying their staff with bodycams to record challenging behaviour. This user-eye view of incidents has been invaluable to them in addressing and dealing with challenging and violent behaviour.
Studies by the University of Cambridge of police officers wearing bodycams, showed that people reacted differently towards them and complaints against individual officers dropped by 93% since the introduction of body worn camera technology.
The Information Commissioner’s Office has already agreed that there are no issues with education providers using cameras as long as their policies and usage follow the Data Protection Act.
How do they work?
Worn on a teacher or educator’s clothes, the bodycam can either record continuously or can be switched on when an incident occurs. With Pinnacle Response’s PR6 camera there is also a pre-record function which records the 5 seconds (without sound) before the record button was pushed.
All students can see that there is a camera and are aware that they may be recorded. Safeguarding legislation means that all data is encrypted using government-backed platforms.
Any footage can then be used as evidence, whether that is to show parents and carers or, with more serious incidents, police and law enforcement.
We have also written a blog on the compulsory use of bodycams for bailiffs.