A high school invited us in with a bit of hesitation, unsure how students and parents would react to a frank conversation about sexting, sextortion, consent, and the law. Ninety minutes later the gym erupted in applause. Teens crowded around to thank us for treating them with honesty and respect, proving once again that real protection starts with real education.

After the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, renewed calls to “harden” schools are growing louder. But when security measures start looking like prisons, license plate readers, drones, and surveillance perimeters, we risk trading safety for constant monitoring. Should schools protect children, or police them? The line is thinner than we think.