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BY JEFF BURTON
Jeff.Burton@nwitimes.com
219.762.1397, ext.2225 | Wednesday, October 22, 2008 | (No comments posted.)
PORTAGE | With the simple click of a mouse, everything private could become very public, even for children.
That's the message Portage Township Schools Resource Officer Cpl. Troy Williams told Myers Elementary School parents Tuesday night.
Williams, who's been in the district's schools since 2006, told parents there are cases in Portage where a young girl has received thousands of text messages in a month from an adult looking for a relationship and another where a girl who took a risque photo for her boyfriend had it posted online.
"It can happen here," Williams said. "Kids don't realize that stuff is forever once it gets posted. If you're going to let your kid have an account, make sure you have the password."
Speaking to parents at each of the district's schools this month, Williams said there are different issues students face at different age levels. Showing parents various drug-smoking devices, Williams said it's never too early to be prepared and become knowledgeable about what children are exposed to, especially in terms of drug abuse.
"At the elementary level, you don't have much of what you see here," he said. "In middle school, you're gong to start to see a time when they'll start to make some bad decisions. Unfortunately, this is a reality of our society."
Prescription drug abuse and marijuana use are the most common offenses Williams said he deals with, and when it comes to drug abuse, Williams said the best way to tell if something is wrong is to practice active parenting.
"You know your kids better than anybody, so you've got to notice subtle changes in behavior," he said, noting that changes in grades, friends or level of openness can be telltale signs of a problem.
With more children on prescription medication, Williams said some are choosing to sell it rather than take it and not knowing what a powerful pill could do to a child's system could cause serious harm.
"You're rolling the dice on whether you're going to kill yourself," he said.
Williams said if parents suspect something, it's their right to search their child's room.
"Unless you allow your kid to pay rent and keep a lock on that door, you have free rein to check that room and check it often," he said. "We've got to help them find the right way."
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