The last couple of years, violence in schools has spread widely throughout the nation. This has caused major concerns among students, families, faculty of schools, and residents of many areas. In this paper I will discuss the reasons why I believe violence in schools exists and what can be done to prevent it.
             In today's society, the teenage population has been experiencing an increase in deadly violence. Teens face many situations that cause these problems. Several factors that contribute to this extreme behavior are the effects of mass media, peer pressure, and society's view on the "ideal" person.
             Television, radio, magazines, newpapers, and the internet are all ways of communicating messages throughout society. One might see a violent movie or TV show and decide to re-enact the scenes thus causing harm to one's self or to others. Hidden meanings of racism and hate are intertwined and communicated in popular music. Teens hear the words of their role models and begin to believe it is all right to follow in their foot steps. When reading of such violent acts as the Oklahoma City bombing or the murders of Nicole Brown-Simpson and Ron Goldman, it is taken to most that it is easy to commit and even possible to get away with the most grusome of crimes.
             Peer pressure is a key factor of teen violence in schools today. Teenagers rely a great deal upon their peers and friends for guidance and support. Usually this turns out to be the wrong source. Friendship is a word that is thrown around a little too loosely now days. Teens let their "friends" talk them into doing things that they would not normally do, for example taking and selling drugs, drinking alchohol, and theft. Today's youth must learn to be leaders and pave their own paths, not follow in the wrong paths of others.
             Society can often be a harsh world to live in for a teen. To be considered "in" you must fit the role of the "ideal person." As young adults, teens a
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