No Rise in FAHS Violence

Fight (n): an angry argument or disagreement.

Fights can occur anywhere and everywhere, even in high schools. And Fleetwood Area High School is no exception.

On average, Fleetwood sees about six or seven physical altercations each year. Compared to other, similar schools, this is about average. However, some schools have more than fifteen fights a year. One big question students have is, “What do people even fight about?”

Principal Michael DeAntonio says, “Unfortunately, most are about miscommunication. Someone says they heard from someone who heard from someone else…and so on.”

Everyone knows the stories and the people who participated in them. Fights seem to arise out of everything and nothing. The simplest little word can prompt an altercation. Fortunately, Fleetwood’s violence trends remain consistently low. What can anyone at school plan to do to help prevent fights from erupting?

“We continue to try to convince students to let me, Mr. Salpino, and any teachers know if they are having difficulty with someone,” says DeAntonio.

At any given moment, the administration and faculty are available to help. If someone happens to find himself or herself in a school fight, the consequences can be pretty heavy.  Suspension and notification of the police are a given. Most of the time, the police will even file charges on behalf of the school.

The rumor goes that the younger students are the ones who get in the most trouble, and many teachers agree. Most faculty believe that freshmen are more predisposed to violence because they are still adjusting to this new and different school environment. Students are less kind, however, and think that freshmen are just more immature.

Fleetwood Fights even has its own Facebook page, which has acquired tons of fans. Still, many teachers and students are continuing the effort to reduce fights in school. With the help of everyone, maybe this dream can become a reality.