Mosaic 2000: A Tyrant's Tool

     Recently, the California-based Gavin de Becker, Inc. announced the development of a computer program called Mosaic 2000 in conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF).  Testing of the software was expected to begin at over 20 schools in December. The software rates whether a student will be potentially violent on a scale of 1 to 20, based on the answers to questions asked of administrators.
     The company claims that this software will not be used for labeling in any way.  In their words, the software is designed "for use only in situations in which students make threats or otherwise come to the attention of the school as possible security risks".  One must question how the students "come to the attention of the school as possible security risks".  One well-known way is that students who are different are bound to be labeled as potential threats and then evaluated with this software.  Even James Perrotti, chief of police at Yale University, who himself helped create the questions used by the system, said, "It's easy to pick out the gang members with tattoos. It's these other people that kind of surprise administrators, and these are the ones they really need to identify."  The implication is that the presence of a tattoo is a factor already being used by administrators to label students.  Who is to say that this software will not be used on someone who wears clothing that is not part of the norm?
     Another concern is that it cannot be guaranteed that this software will be properly used by administrators.  Those students throughout the country who have been suspended and even expelled for making uncomplimentary comments about their schools and school administrators on their personal websites created from home could tell you that this cannot be counted upon.  A student that is different but is not causing any problems should not be treated as a problem.  Another problem with the reasoning behind this software is that its method is considered to be objective.  The fact remains that the criteria used for evaluation is subjective.  While it is true that more than 150 indicators are used, the fact remains that every one of the indicators is subjective, and indicate different things for different students.  One must suspect that the intent of the software is to make it more difficult to question the judgments given by school officials, which are now supposedly objective because a computer program is involved.
     Gavin de Becker, Inc. claims that Mosaic cannot brand students as dangerous and that it only evaluates a situation.  Unfortunately, in an ideal world this might be the case, but in the real world where administrators and officials are human beings, it is unrealistic to expect the software to be used fairly, assuming that it even could be used fairly.  The company claims that in order "to sway Mosaic 2000, a dishonest evaluator would have to lie on forty specific and fully documented questions".  Would you trust the future of your son and daughter to your confidence that an administrator, who has probably labeled your child in order to use the program in the first place, will be completely objective and truthful in answering the forty questions, or even have the knowledge to do so?  It is very telling that the company does not provide a list of the questions to the public.
     Profiling of young people is no different than racial and ethnic profiling, and it is morally wrong.  Profiling someone to predict whether they will commit a crime or be dangerous is contrary to the concept of innocent until proven guilty, as well as due process.  It is wrong for a school to punish a student who has done nothing except be different.  Schools should only act when there is a case of imminent danger to students and faculty, or the student has actually committed an offense.
     Mr. de Becker has written a book entitled, "Protecting the Gift: Keeping Children and Teenagers Safe".  Unfortunately, one must question whether children and teenagers need to be kept safe from Mosaic 2000 itself.  The software is scheduled for final release in March, and may be coming to a school near you.  In the meantime, you can contact Robert Martin at Gavin de Becker, Inc. to tell him what you think of Mosaic 2000.