Between arriving at school and the start of first period, students have stumbled upon an anatomy lesson that no one remembers signing up for. PDA has become a source of controversy among staff and students because the couple pressed against someone’s locker is at it like no one is watching, but many are.
Public Displays of Affection (PDA) are any act of physical intimacy in public, and there is a policy prohibiting some of it. PDA is becoming more prevalent, likely because teachers may feel inclined to break up a fight, but feel uncertain about how to handle canoodling.
Mr. Nicholas Eckstein, a teacher, points out that a direct approach could discourage PDA.
“I walk by and go, ‘Eww,’ and then they get embarrassed enough to stop. It avoids the awkward ‘You shouldn’t be doing that,’ conversation,” Eckstein said.
Most students attend school to learn, and if two students are in a lip lock, it could become a distraction in class. PDA might seem innocent outside of class, during passing time or lunch, but it can still cause harm.
Students are at varying stages of development, and physical intimacy can be intimidating or confusing. PDA may lead to misunderstandings about appropriate public behavior and influence the escalation to more intimate behavior.
Mrs. Keller, an assistant principal, explains that students are from a wide range of backgrounds, and what may be a routine gesture to one person can be inappropriate to another.
“Everyone who comes to school has their own beliefs and values, and the way those are expressed can affect others. It’s important to recognize that certain behaviors, like PDA, may make other students feel uncomfortable or even unsafe,” Keller said.
