Science News in Brief

Students Get Pepper-Sprayed for Criminal-Science Class

By The Associated Press — May 30, 2017 1 min read
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A group of Ohio high school students voluntarily got pepper-sprayed in the face—and called the painful experience a useful lesson.

More than a dozen Barberton High School students agreed to be sprayed with their parents’ permission as part of a class exercise. A video posted online shows a row of teenagers lined up against a building. All is quiet as someone methodically sprays each student in the face and then moves on. One by one, the students begin to scream.

The exercise was part of a criminal-science class at the school about 40 miles south of Cleveland. Students also have been shocked with a stun gun for the class. The competitive program draws applications from students who want to join the military or become a police officer and is taught by a former police chief.

A version of this article appeared in the May 30, 2017 edition of Education Week as Students Get Pepper-Sprayed For Criminal-Science Class

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