MAYBE your disagreements can be resolved by talking them out rather than breaking out into fist-fighting?!
As if students weren’t struggling enough from adjusting back to in-person classes – after the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns – school districts from across the country, including Nevada, have been experiencing an increase in violence among students. While some adults anticipated that the return to classrooms would be challenging for students, the volume of students that are easily triggered into violence and ready to take on anyone who upset them has surprised many parents, guardians and school staff members.
Consider a few of the documented incidents of school violence from Nevada’s campuses in recent times. Last year, there were over 100 fights recorded throughout middle and high schools in the Washoe County School District during the 2020-2021 school year (according to nevadareportcard.nv.gov). Meanwhile in the southern part of the state, CCSD reported more than 5,300 instances of violence in the schools serving Clark County’s youth.
Since students have returned to in person learning, many classrooms feel more like boxing venues where students take their anger out on their fellow classmates instead of safe havens for learning. These incidents have created huge distractions for the students, but they’re also leading to something else: serious criminal consequences for the young Nevadans that get caught up in the violence.
In Washoe County School District, a January 2022 viral video from Vaughn Middle School that captured a fight amongst multiple students. This fight took place in the middle of the classroom during instruction. Teachers tried their best to break up the fight. This left Vaughn unsure on what to do to stop the student violence after being the 54th fight to occur this year alone. These students may only be in middle school, but when the violence is significant enough, it can lead to very adult legal consequences like being charged with violent crimes! Some young people may even face being charged as an adult when the violence is notable enough.
In February 2022 at Las Vegas High School, a 15-year-old student was sitting at her desk when a student came up behind her and hit her a total of 30 times, leaving her unconscious. There was no one who came to the rescue of the victim. She was not taken to the hospital until after her mom arrived and took her herself.
Students-on-student violence isn’t the only problem either. Students have been attacking teachers as well. One incident reported from CCSD involved a teacher that was assaulted by one of their students. After a teacher tried to step in to break up a fight against two girl classmates, the teacher thrown and tackled to the ground and punched many times.
In all of these cases, students may go into the moment thinking “Worst case scenario, I get grounded and detention” but that’s wrong! In addition to risking suspension or expulsion from the school district, students are risking serious criminal charges. Assault, battery, and mutual combat are just a few of the very adult criminal charges students risk dealing with when they engage in violence no matter if it’s on campus at school or off campus outside of school hours.
Fist-fighting is much more than just roughhousing with a classmate, these innocents can lead to serious consequences not only with your school administration, but also with the law. Fighting is a SERIOUS and can cause major injuries – not just a bloody nose. Think before you do, it might save you from getting into some serious legal trouble.
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Contributed by: Emma Winkelman
Edited by: Mike Kamer
