olence rising, a direct correlation can be seen. Our society has created drug awareness programs in our schools, but obviously something must be changed in these programs. They simply are not working. The highest drug abuse numbers are seen in the teen year’s age group. We must find a way to lower these numbers and reduce the number of drug users, especially children. When we have successfully done this, its believe that rate of violence will also drop. Vireos teens today get involved into crimes because of peer pressure. Teens who are committing crimes are doing it with their peers. There are pressured from one another to perform violent acts. Often teenagers think that hurting people will make their reputation in school good. Peer pressure is a very subtle tactic. Most of the times teens don’t realize there are using per pressure or that it is happening to them. The media portrays peer pressure as a teen offering their “friend” a joint, some alcohol, or tobacco. But this is only a small example of peer pressure. Girl friends talk to each other about other girls, calling them whores or saying they have crabs or other sexually transmitted diseases. This collusion is peer pressure. It is also the beginning of rumors that create anxiety and frustration for many teens in school. Boys say sexual things about girls and friends go along with it – this is peer pressure. Kids gang up on another student making him or her the goat of the class – peer pressure. A classroom of students decides to get a teacher of track or create a disturbance so that studying can’t take place – peer pressure. All of these are example of negative peer pressure. But one must not think that this is the only way peer pressure is used. On the positive side, peers can create an environment that is accepting and healthy. A good example was one of an 8th grade cocker team. The young ladies over there used the team...
