ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Some students at St. Petersburg High School say violent fights have become a routine part of their school environment, often fueled by social media.
Senior Anthony Costanzo said, "Whenever it happens, there's always going to be someone there to record it or, like, instigate in a sort of a way."
Costanzo and his classmate Jess Smith said that before spring break, three fights broke out at the school, all within roughly ten minutes of each other.
While they didn't see the recent fights happen in person, they said they were airdropped to students around the school and shared on social media.
"People are making edits of it and all this different stuff," Costanzo said. "They find it entertaining and use it for social media likes and views and stuff like that."
Smith said the "routine" fighting has students on edge. When we asked her if she felt safe at school, she said, "I think as a student body in general, a lot of us don't."
Both students said the fights don't just end up on screens, they often begin there too.
"They start going at it online and then that moves up to like beef in person," Costanzo said.
Costanzo and Smith said the current measures in place to deter fighting don't go far enough and suggest more needs to be done to curb fighting on school grounds.
"I don't think we have enough [student resource officers]. I don't think we have enough people there. I think there needs to be more supervision," Smith said.
However, Pinellas County School officials say fighting at the high school is trending down.
According to the public information officer of Pinellas County Schools, from August 2021 to March 2022, there were 65 reported fights.
In the same time frame this school year, there have been 23 reported fights.
In a statement, Isabel Mascareñas said in part, "We recognize that there are occasionally times where incidents disrupt our campus environment, but this is not the norm, and are often exacerbated by the sharing of videos on social media." The statement went on to say, "When such incidents happen, staff responds quickly and thoroughly investigates the situation."
But Costanzo and Smith said nearly two dozen fights this year is still too many, and as they enter the remainder of their senior year, they hope speaking out against the fighting will inspire conversation.
"I do have my fear that I will go back to school and there will be students against me for speaking up about it because they don't agree with me," Smith said. "But you have to say something because I want other people to say something."
According to the Pinellas County School's bullying policy, which encompasses physical violence, the consequences may range from "positive behavioral interventions" to "suspension or expulsion."
Pinellas County Schools said in some cases police have been involved in responding to violence on school property.
Full statement from Pinellas County Schools Public Information Officer Isabel Mascareñas:
St. Petersburg High School maintains high expectations for both academics and behavior. We work together as a school community of students, staff, parents and stakeholders to create a positive and rewarding environment to meet the needs of every student. Our campus is safe, and we continue to implement our Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) framework to ensure a rewarding environment for all. In the 2022-23 school year, St. Petersburg High School has demonstrated a reduction in referrals, suspensions and fights.
We recognize that there are occasionally times where incidents disrupt our campus environment, but this is not the norm, and are often exacerbated by the sharing of videos on social media.
When such incidents happen, staff responds quickly and thoroughly investigates the situation. Students responsible are disciplined according to the Student Code of Conduct and can face legal consequences, including possible arrest as determined by law enforcement.