Kids might find a schoolyard brawl exciting, but teachers, administrators and school resource officers could deem it a crime.

As such, there are specific rules to follow if a fight breaks out on area school campuses, and school resource officers are invaluable in keeping the peace, administrators and teachers say.

Charles Newman, longtime school resource officer at Gainesville High School, said school officials keep an eye out for students involved in conflicts with potential for violence.

"When we find out there's a problem between students, we really try to mediate it so it doesn't escalate beyond talking," he said.

Gainesville High School Assistant Principal Bryson Worley said school resource officers play a big role in keeping students from attacking other students.

"Those guys really do a good job of getting to know the kids. We talk about it a lot - how to settle conflict without fighting," he said.

If an argument does turn violent, teachers are advised to call for an administrator or school resource officer, Sargent said. Administrators tell teachers to not interfere.

"Typically what we've done is to encourage teachers to get kids and everyone else out of harm's way," he said. "The bottom line is to keep everybody safe. The most important thing is if you have two kids in a fray situation, is to keep the other kids away so they're not harmed."

While a fight is escalating, Worley said teachers should use quick, direct commands like "sit down" or "move to this seat" to try and calm students.

"We never ask a teacher to put themselves in harm's way," he said.

Now that fighting can lead to jail time for students older than 17, there are fewer fights at Gainesville High, Newman said.

"Most of the kids know that if they fight at school, they're going to jail. And they don't want that," he said. "I think kids are not as aggressive now as they have been."

He said students who fight can wind up in the Hall County Detention Center and face a definite two- to five-day suspension and possible expulsion.

"It depends on what kind of situation it is, but students can be charged with fray or assault," said Hall County Student Services Director Jim Sargent.

Worley said it's usually the same ol' "he-said, she-said" dilemma that drives girls or boys to throw the first punch.

"Typically what we see is rumors get started and one feels like they are disrespected or something spilled over from a boyfriend-girlfriend issue," Worley said.

While girls tend to fight on personal issues related to rumors, guys often fight because they're being egged on by peers and are trying to protect their egos, Newman said.

"You get a lot of peer pressure from the kids to fight because they want to see a fight, but they don't want to be a part of a fight," he said.

With 1,400 students in a school, there is inevitable conflict. But so far this school year, there's only been one fight at Gainesville High, Newman said.

Newman said school resource officers are necessary when charges of fray, fighting in public or disruption at school are filed. He said he also must determine if the fight was mutual, or if one student assaulted another.

"There's a difference between fighting at school and being assaulted at school," he said.

A students' punishment is then determined by a judge.

Newman said he usually doesn't see the same kids fighting over and over.

"The school system is doing a good job talking to kids," he said. "They are really proactive in trying to help kids maintain a positive attitude and get through the school year and be productive people."