A throng of students crowd the halls, and everyone is holding up their phones and cheering loudly. Expecting something exciting, you push forward like everyone else. However, the disturbance turns out to be just another fight, not the thrilling surprise you had hoped it would be.

Bethel High School is home to more than 1,700 students, many of whom have witnessed or seen a fight in their time. This year though, students are reporting a noticeable decrease in fighting. Instead of occurring every other day, physical altercations seem to be less frequent. 

“No, [Bethel] is not known for its fights,” junior Tyrelle Orono stated. “My freshman year had a lot more fights than more recently.”

Fights in high schools across America have become commonplace. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, approximately 85% of high schools reported at least one violent incident in 2021-2022.  Getting involved in a fight can lead to suspension and possibly expulsion, but fights still draw students in.

“I think it [fighting] is probably how high school is done,” one junior stated, adding, “I think they should do something more [about it].” 

Fights have almost been normalized in high schools across America. Students are constantly exposed to violence whether in movies, on the streets, or in the news, and they are often seen as a means to gain respect. 

“[Some people are] instigating and like people purposely saying stuff to each other,” junior Andrew Butler said.  “Some people honestly just do it for fun.” 

For many, fights are a form of entertainment, a break in the monotony of a normal school day. It gives them something to post, share, and discuss. For those caught in the crossfire though, they are no laughing matter.

“As someone who got stuck in between two people fighting, [I] ended up knocked out in a corner,” sophomore Madison Jung shared. “[That was] not good, not fun at all.”

Fights like the one Madison experienced are less common at Bethel right now than in previous years, which is good for school culture and morale. Yet, it is still unclear why violence is trending down here. 

“Different crowds, the students are different,” sophomore Tycarai Woods stated. “Freshmen are better than last year.”

The Dean of Boys, Coach Brehon, attributes the positive trend at Bethel to changes in the way staff and security are monitoring the hallways. 

“The decrease of fights [is due] to more staff in the hallway,” Coach Brehon stated. “We are more vigilant and alert to what’s going on.

Another possible reason for the decline in fights is a wider spread shift in student culture at Bethel. 

“The students are having success [with behavior] because they’re doing well [with academics],” Coach Brehon observed. “The older students are helping out a great deal.” 

The few fights that do occur at Bethel still, Coach Brehon reports, involve freshman and sophomores. In fact, reports from last year show that 70% of altercations started with sophomores and freshmen. 

“[Fighting] is what it is, but it bothers me because of the amount of people who are just standing there watching it and not stopping it,” a senior, who goes by Davis, shared. “No one is doing anything to resolve this situation; they’re just letting it continue.”

Whatever the reason for the decrease in fighting at Bethel, most students hope this trend continues.

“If there’s multiple people reporting that it [a fight] is going to happen, then do something,” junior Madison Jung stated.  

If more and more students at the school hold themselves and their peers accountable, Bethel could very well witness a true and lasting decline in violence on the premises. 

“I think people need to start taking things less seriously,” junior Teagan Hoffman observed. “It’s never that serious.”