Fights in high schools in America are considered common. There have been many fights at our school alone and school only resumed months ago. What makes high schoolers engage in such violent activities? This article will talk through the causes of fights in the general public school and how arguments can be resolved before it turns into a fight. To be clear, there are many different factors that contribute to fights in high schools but there are some common factors that link them all together. 

Some common reasons for fights are lack of respect, differing opinions, rumors, and reputation maintenance. The lack of respect students have for one another can instigate a fight. Public schools especially are filled with students from different backgrounds which gives us the opportunity to learn from one another. Sadly, even though we have this opportunity, these differences can lead to many disputes between high schoolers. 

Some students don’t think about the impact their words may have on others, which can cause a misunderstanding and lead to a fight. With a school full of diversity, not everybody will have the same experience in life or the same opinions. Some topics can be difficult to discuss and if the people who are having that disagreement don’t talk civilly, it could lead to a fight. 

Rumors are a big thing in high school and the real world. Rumors are stories that are not verified, meaning the information that is spreading around about an individual is generally fake or exaggerated. Rumors are created for a variety of reasons, some of which include hatred for an individual, revenge, and misinformation. Some individuals don’t have the best approach in handling this situation. Instead of addressing the rumor they tend to find the person who started the rumor and suggest the two of them fight. 

Reputation maintenance is one of the seemingly most important things in high school and even in the real world. Everybody has a reputation to maintain, whether good or bad. Reputation maintenance can also be peer pressured because everybody thinks you’re this person regardless of whether it’s true or not, which could lead students into doing something they would later regret in life. A lot of activities teenagers partake in are because of peer pressure. Peer pressure will make you do stuff you normally won’t do to maintain your reputation. 

One day, people may look back to all the fights they’ve been in and think about how they could have done something to prevent the fight, but they didn’t. Not only would they regret the fights, but the fights will always be there like a shadow on their personal records. If students want to attend a good college but get in a fight every other week, colleges are less likely to accept them because of their past track record. 

Before student say something that may be controversial, they should think about whether it would have a negative effect on someone. They shouldn’t say things they wouldn’t want said to you. Everybody has a different opinion, and it’s each person’s responsibility to respect that opinion and to try to have a civil conversation before they start throwing hands, whether you like it or not. Don’t spread rumors that you won’t want to spread about you, especially if you know you’re spreading wrong information. At the end of the day, don’t do or say something that you wouldn’t want to deal with. And like someone once said, “Treat others how you want to be treated, not how they treat you”.