Persuasive Speech Topics for Teens

Persuasive speech topics for teens need to address the issues young people REALLY care about! This will ensure the finished speech isn’t just interesting to write, but is also compelling to listen to.

Whilst I have a LOT of ideas on this site for creating speeches that are intended to convince others, I created this page for this age group as teenagers can be quite a demanding audience!

For that reason, it’s important to grab their attention immediately with a subject that’s relevant to their lives.

Please note that you can take an opposing position for any of the topics below – in other words, persuade your audience against the stated idea.

Speech Topic: Persuasive Speech Topics for Teens – 1 to 10

1. Too little is being done to deal with poverty in America
2. Girls should be allowed to play on boys’ sports teams
3. Students should no longer be forced to read ‘classic’ literature
4. Teenage girls suffer body image issues due to the way women are portrayed in the media
5. Students should be permitted to use cellphones at school
6. Between studies and hobbies, teens are WAY over-scheduled
7. Sex education should not be a part of the curriculum in public schools
8. The voting age should be lowered to 16
9. Children should be allowed to ‘divorce’ their parents
10. Corporations should not be allowed to advertise in schools

Speech Topic: Persuasive Speech Topics for Teens – 11 to 20

11. All students should learn a foreign language
12. Students should be allowed to eat freely in the classroom
13. There is a fine line between pranking and bullying
14. Boys and girls should be taught in separate classroms
15. Violence in video games leads to violence in real life
16. Music with bad language should be banned from school dances
17. All students should be required to undertake a fixed period of voluntary work
18. The outsourcing of work to developing countries is making it hard for unqualified teenagers to earn a living wage
19. Apart from necessary studying, all homework should be banned
20. Students should be allowed to wear headphones to listen to their music in class

Speech Topic: Persuasive Speech Topics for Teens – 21 to 30

21. Gay and lesbian relationships should be promoted to students in a positive light
22. Students should be given access to free contraception
23. The parents of obese children should be prosecuted
24. Teachers should never be Facebook friends with their students
25. Students should be given notebook computers instead of textbooks
26. Religion should not be taught in school
27. Schools should ONLY be allowed to serve healthy meal options
28. Teens are becoming more and more obsessed with material possessions
29. Cyberbullying should be grounds for school suspension
30. Parents should restrict the amount of time their teens spend in front of a screen

I hope you found some inspiration here to get you well on your way to creating the perfect presentation! And remember – I LOVE to read speeches written by visitors to my site. So if you put together something you’re proud of and you’d like to share it with the world (or at least the visitors to this website) – then please send it to me using the simple form you’ll find here!