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Get Ready for School

 

 

 children getting on school bus

Summer break is about over and children of all ages are busy getting ready to go back to school.   With that comes the excitement and anxiety of going to new school, new teacher, and how one will be accepted among their peers.  It can be a very stressful time for children, parents, and school staff.

 

Parents need to talk with their kids about the feelings, anxieties, and emotions many will experience with school and associated activities.  Children need to understand how society is, how to interact with people who are not the same as us, being respectful and making friends, what to do when a rule is broken, and most of all that it is okay to tell a teacher, school staff, or law enforcement when something bad has or is rumored to happen.

 

I graduated high school in 1982 and today there are so many more challenges for all school and college students.  Kids need to understand that statistically in our country 1 in 4 girls/women will be victims of at least one sex offense and for boys/men that number is only slightly lower.  Most sex offense victims know the perpetrator and are not attacked by a stranger.  Kids and adults need to know that sex offenders lurk in all places and very commonly on the Internet, in chat rooms, game rooms, and on social net working sites.

 

In my profession we often find that our “gut reaction” and that little voice inside our heads is there for a reason and most often correct.  If something does not seem or feel right it probably isn’t.  Our minds and bodies can sense danger many times before we realize it.  How many times has that voice in your head told you to slow down at an intersection and you then watch another car run a red light?  Too often I have heard people say they did not pay attention to their own “voices” or thoughts and were nearly in an accident or something else.  It is not stupid or dumb to listen to that voice, guardian angel, or whatever you wish to call it.  I would rather see you and your family be safe than visiting with a deputy or trooper and explaining what happened or worse.

 

Throughout history there have been bullies and people who want to take advantage of others.  There have been people who make crime victims and fewer people willing to stand up and do what is right.  Help teach our young people to be leaders and not followers.  Most importantly people of all ages should be praised and rewarded when they do the right thing.  Merely saying “great job” for anything from cleaning their room to lengthy study for a class means so much to people.  Praise to a child for going out of their way in helping another or going forward about something being wrong will forever forge those positive and proper skills for a lifetime of rewards. 

 students raising hands

On behalf of the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, we hope that you and your family have a great start this school year and each and every one of your kids and grandkids remain safe and happy and grow to be great citizens.

 

In closing, please take time to check out the Crime Map on our website at www.livcoso.org  it is a new feature where you can see certain reported criminal incidents and the general area they took place.  With this we hope to spur additional tips and help solve more crimes which only helps our crime victims and makes our community safer.

 

Thank you for taking time to read this message from the sheriff.

Steve Cox