In South L.A., public middle and high schools have faced an epidemic of multiple fights occurring on a weekly basis. Students gather around to watch those fights and then holler, chant, and pull out their phones to record the fight. The footage is later posted on social media by students.
A recent study for the National Center for Education Statistics at IES titled Crime, Violence, Discipline, and Safety in U.S. Public Schools in 2019-20, analyzed this issue.
The findings show that “60 percent of schools reported at least one physical attack or fight without a weapon at school. Nine percent of schools reported such an attack with a weapon.”
Additionally, in schools where at least half of the students are from minority groups, “69 percent reported involving students in restorative practices. Rates were lower at schools with lower minority enrollment, ranging from 40 to 58 percent,” according to the same 2022 study.
“Violence is a form of survivalism to some groups. [In] some countries, they fight because there’s no other option. But when it comes down to young people, I think it really comes back to them not having the words, not having the alternatives. They don’t know how to be connected and how to have disagreements in a safe way,” said Holly Priebe-Sotelo, a professor at the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work and an expert in school crisis response, adolescent bullying, abuse, and diversity and equity.
Priebe-Sotelo grew up in South L.A. and experienced violence in public schools herself, which pushed her brother to drop out of school. Due to this, she spent eighteen years in K-12 schools doing anti-bullying work by fostering connection between the students. Yet due to the violence and internalized trauma that she and her family experienced growing up in the South L.A. public school system, she decided to enroll her daughter in a private school so that she would have a better educational environment.
“From my experience in working in schools is that sometimes young people feel that there is no other option but violence. And so we have to teach young people alternatives to impulse,” Priebe-Sotelo said. “We need to teach them safe ways to act out aggressions or anger or disrespect.”
These fights are extremely harmful, yet the glorification and perpetuation of these on social media is where the deeper point of concern lies. In South L.A., where the majority of residents identify as either Black or Latinx, this violence is the product of other systemic issues.
“A lot of it comes back to internalized oppression. You know, a lot of kids have an internalized history of trauma where they don’t feel like their voice matters,” Priebe-Sotelo said. “And so it starts really kind of with those internal messages in our own minds that tells us this is all I’m good for.”
According to Priebe-Sotelo, the key to change is in learning and implementing new strategies that are more focused on empathy and human connection among students.
“We always encourage our school community to follow the District’s message: ‘If you see something, say something,’” a Los Angeles Unified spokesperson said.
Additionally, students and parents can also use the LAUSD LASAR mobile app which allows those in the school community to anonymously report any issues such as fights, mental health incidents, or drug consumption.
“Los Angeles Unified takes the safety and well-being of our students very seriously. To support students, Los Angeles Unified offers schools several tiers of support, including––but not limited to––strategies to prevent, respond to, and recover from instances of student misconduct,” a Los Angeles Unified spokesperson said. “When examples of this occur, school staff who supervise students are expected to intervene appropriately, which includes notifying school administrators. They will investigate and take appropriate administrative action. The safety of students and staff is our top priority.”
Essentially, it all comes down to the system and values that teenagers are inheriting.
“The missing link here is to engage the parents,” Priebe-Sotelo said. “In private schools, parents must participate. There’s no question that they have to participate. So here in public schools, the parents and caregivers are almost nowhere to be found.”
Although social media plays a great role in perpetuating violence, it can be used as a tool to spread awareness and create change.
“Monitoring social media is a never-ending process where we’re, you know, we can’t police every single message that exists. It’s impossible. So therefore, we need to empower young people to do this and be responsible for their own behaviors,” Priebe-Sotelo said.