Trick or Treat

Nevaeh Espinoza, Staff Writer

Many people might argue on whether older kids, such as high schoolers should be able to Trick or Treat, or should stay home and just watch scary movies all night.

Many High Schoolers, still trick or treat their younger sibling or their friends. While most go to haunted houses, have parties, and /or just stay home and scare themselves by watching scary movies.

“In fact [trick-or-treating] in certain situations may be better than other options teens have available to occupy their Halloween night,” says Zishan Khan, MD, a psychiatrist with Mindpath Health. “Halloween can be a time for people to express themselves more freely.”

A teenager may be asked by his or her parents to take a younger sibling out to trick-or-treat. That grows a stronger bond between the pair, and a younger sibling can feel safe trick-or-treating with an older sibling, knowing that he or she will be protected by the older sibling.

Though most teenagers no longer participate in the Halloween tradition, there are still some who refuse to let it go. They insist that there is no age at which someone should stop, but if you look around your neighborhood on Halloween night, there is a clear trend: most trick-or-treaters are elementary school-aged children. Although there is no set age at which you have to stop, there are indications of when kids are becoming too old to participate.

However, for a high school-aged person, there are more reasons to stop, including the odd looks a teen will get from people handing out candy, the intimidation kids will feel from teenagers, and the pointlessness of the event for people that age.

Overall, teens should and could be able to trick or treat, it distracts them, but it also creates a sense of comfort for their siblings if they take them. There is not an age limit for trick or treating and they should be able to take advantage of it.