Schools Ban Tag, Dodge Ball and Other Games

Foxnews.com ^ | Nov 19,2002 | The Associated Press

[winner3000]

TRENTON, NJ-November 18, 2002 — Tag, dodge ball and other playground favorites are coming under more scrutiny at many New Jersey schools, as the threat of injuries and lawsuits spurs more districts to ban the games. In Long Hill, a ban on tag was part of a code of conduct signed by pupils at one of the Morris County district's elementary schools this year. Instead, a modified version of the game is played indoors with plenty of supervision.

"The idea of loosely running around and chasing each other is not safe," Long Hill Superintendent Arthur DiBenedetto told The Star-Ledger of Newark for Monday's editions.

In recent years, similar bans have been put in place at schools in Maplewood, North Caldwell and Woodbridge, mostly because children were being hurt when they fell or were piled on by classmates. However, many experts, parents and pupils claim the bans do more harm than good.

"We live in a society that makes kids so safe, ultimately, we'll put them in a cocoon," said Charles T. Kuntzleman, a University of Michigan professor of kinesiology, the study of exercise and body movement.

Tag is not the only game that has been targeted. Dodge ball, also known as bombardment, was banned at several schools in New Jersey and other states because officials feared that some students were being singled out as targets by bullies.

"There's potential for some victimization," said Mary Beth Klotz, a psychologist with the National Association of School Psychologists. "Tag may look OK socially, but it can be a double standard because kids can use it to bully a certain student."

(Copyright 2002 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[summer]

The disease we really fear is Hepatitis.

The nurse talked about that at length, as well, but I can't recall everything she said. Is there a type of Hepatitis that is contagious via airborne particules? What is the disease you can catch via air transmission? I know she mentioned one at least, and that was really frightening.

BTW, thanks for your thoughtful post, jalisco. I agree kids need some recess/PE time, but the risk of HIV transmission through contact sports is something that still concerns me. I have seen too many kids with an open wound or easily bloodied at school just by a fall or a scrape or a paper cut, and that's why we all have to wear gloves now, even to put on a band-aid.

[jalisco555]

Their are three major types of Hepatitis called A,B and C. Type A is spread via the fecal-to-oral route, typically by contaminated food. This is the type people get in restaurants in which infected workers (who may not know they're infected) don't wash their hands properly. Although one can get quite sick from Hepatitis A the disease is usually self-limited, the patient makes a complete recovery and there are no long term consequences. It is almost never fatal.

Types B and C are the really dangerous ones. They are both spread via infected blood or other body fluids and may be sexually transmitted. Although they may lead to acute hepatitis like type A the real danger is chronic hepatitis. Here, the patient never clears the infection and it may lead to long-term liver damage, cirrhosis, liver cancer or death.

To give you some statistics, if you accidentally stick yourself with a needle with Hepatitis B virus contaminated blood the risk of infection is about 6-30% and the risk of chronic hepatitis is 10%. With Hepatitis C the risk of infection is lower, about 6% but the likelihood of chronic infection is around 75% so Hep C is very bad. Most occupational cases of chronic hepatitis are due to Hepatitis C. Fortunately, we have a very effective vaccine against Hepatitis B (which I have taken and urge everyone to take) but unfortunately none against Hepatitis C. BTW, the risk of Hepatitis of all types due to blood transfusion is now extremely low due to careful screening.

Just to put this in perspective, if I stick myself accidentally with a bloody needle from an AIDS patient my risk of becoming HIV positive is 0.3%, i.e. 3/1,000.

[AUgrad]

"The idea of loosely running around and chasing each other is not safe,"

Does that mean Rutgers will disband their football team?

[AUgrad]

I also played STQ back in elementary and Jr. High. What a great game.

[tdadams]

I guess no one has to wonder how politically correct schools feel about smear the queer.

[Political Junkie Too]

Do the schools inform the parents if a child has chicken pox or mumps or measles? If so, then why the stigma around AIDS? Is it because of how it is most likely acquired? Is it because it is about sex?

-PJ

[summer]

You make an interesting point - and, I don't know what to say in response, but here is a link that provides more information in answer to your question than I could:

CLICK HERE

[summer]

I read more of that link, and I don't think it addresses your question - but, you are right, in that the school WILL contact parents about other illnesses and diseases, including lice. When one student is found to have lice, a letter goes home to tell the parents of that fact. Here is something from the link above [from the teachers union] that I found of interest:

Q: What about transmission of [HIV] in the workplace?

A: The only documented cases of HIV transmission in workplace settings have occurred in hospitals or health care facilities. And there have been only 42 such documented cases in all of the United States as of June 1994. Most of these cases have involved an injury with a needle contaminated with the blood of an HIV-infected patient. Transmission also can occur if infected blood splashes on a healthy person's eyes, nose, or mouth or comes in contact with a wound in the skin that allows blood to penetrate.

[summer]

This was also a point the nurse made to us, which greatly upset the fathers/teachers, as they did not know a child playing contact sports does not even need to have an open wound to get infected - if infected blood splashes in your eye, that could transmit HIV. (Thus, IMO, better to teach a kid to play golf or tennis!)

"Transmission also can occur if infected blood splashes on a healthy person's eyes, nose, or mouth."

[summer]

Thanks for your post #82; I have to read it all again when I have more time! :)

[montag813]

"The idea of loosely running around and chasing each other is not safe,"

Yes, it is so much safer to have obese children grow up into cesspools for public health dollars. But that's ok, then they will sue McDonald's for their obesity and concomitant diseases.

[mafree]

They really would've gotten us back in the day when we would take any kind of ball and yell "dodgeball," and then throw it at the nearest kid. It wasn't fun when somebody was throwing a basketball or a baseball your way but we all survived.

[ohioman]

"I agree, but does anyone really believe dodgeball is a sport? In my elementary school it was downright vicious. Why dont the PE programs focus more on teaching kids
basic fitness and how to have a healthy body and lifestyle no matter what their athletic ability?"

Your comments make me wanna barf. Typical response from a wimp.

[asformeandformyhouse]

The idea of loosely running around and chasing each other is not safe

I have my children do this every day. It's called 'playing' and it's great exercise.

[ConservativeDude]

Did you ever "dog pile"? That wasnt really a game, more like mob rule, where every one piles on top of some poor sop who fell down. I can assure you that the guy at the bottom of the pile could rarely breathe, if at all. It was really quite dangerous in retrospect. But what the hell.

[jwalsh07]

I guess asses up and johnny ride a pony are out of the question, eh?

[ConservativeDude]

I totally forgot Smear the Queer....now I wasn't the most athletic in elementary, but I am glad to say that I was NEVER referred to as the queer and was never smeared in that particular game.

[ConservativeDude]

and I guess the poster wouldn't like the version of "dodge ball" we played in junior high. it was called "kill ball". The rules were you were only out IF you were hit in the head. Now that was a game.

Of course I have a memory like Muhammad Ali now, but so be it.

[ConservativeDude]

"I guess asses up and johnny ride a pony are out of the question, eh?"


Considering the establishment's obsession with deviant sexuality nowadays, I'm not sure I would like the contemporary version of these games from the sound of the titles....

[ConservativeDude]

Huckle Buckle, Hide the Belt...whatever. Sounds like a great game.