SD20 responds to 'LG' issue with letter to parents
By Contributor
The following is a letter, by school district superintendent Jean Borsa, which was sent home with Castlegar students last week: Dear Parents/Guardians: Recently, there was a posting on Facebook by two young men in the Castlegar area related to a phenomenon now known as LG, or ‘little girl’. Disturbing and shocking, this particular post noted, with detailed procedures, how young men/older male teenagers could prey on young teenage girls (or ‘specimens’, as they referred to them) and lure them into having sex. All parents of teenagers need to be aware that this particular issue has caused pain and suffering for both young men and women in our local area, and parents need to ensure that such an issue is dealt with and stopped. The LG abuse of young girls is not occurring only through Facebook or Internet luring. Vulnerable young girls – 12 to 13 years old – are recruited to attend local parties, often involving alcohol and drugs, and are groomed to take part in sexual activities with older males. This phenomenon is not limited to communities within our school district, but occurs throughout communities in our province and beyond. Families and entire communities, along with school districts, have a shared responsibility to ensure the safety and well-being of our children and youth. Being a parent or guardian in today’s world is no easy task. The impact of two parents working, single parent families, financial stresses, technology, and other contemporary issues on our children’s lives are big, and not always positive. Talk to any educator who has been involved with children over a long period of time and you will hear stories of how parents parent differently, how kids learn and behave differently, and how technology continues to grow in terms of its impact and influence on our kids and how they learn and interact with each other and the world. Parenting becomes particularly challenging when children enter puberty. This typically coincides with entering high school, and the combination of brain reorganization, increased and volatile hormonal changes, and the increased importance of peers and social dynamics often mean that children begin to distance themselves from their parents, and that most parents begin to take a hands off approach to parenting. As challenging as it is, this is exactly the time that parents need to be more involved in their children’s lives and aware of their children’s activities. Social media sites, like Facebook or chat rooms, are fascinating sites for us to go to stay connected with friends and loved ones, to let people know what we’re doing and what we’re thinking, to meet new people from around the world, and to share pictures and videos. When used correctly, these sites can be positive experiences. Unfortunately, not everyone uses them positively, and negative incidents occur. Parents of children who use these sites need to monitor what their children do and say. Schools assist parents with this work by educating students K-12 about safety concerns related to technology and social media. Schools also provide Internet Safety sessions to parents through school PAC’s upon their request. Community leaders from various organizations have been meeting to discuss next steps in managing this LG situation. Representatives from Community Services, Municipal Councils, RCMP, Ministry of Children & Family Development, Victim Services, Freedom Quest, Women’s Outreach, Men Speaking Out, Mental Health, Crown Counsel, Public Health, FAIR, School District, and more have gathered to discuss possible community responses for protecting our vulnerable youth. Further meetings are scheduled. I encourage each of our communities to meet to discuss such broad-based, community-wide solutions to this issue, and others that affect the safety of our youth. Equally disturbing are the stories of youth involved with alcohol and drugs. Although I know that some adult responses to this issue are that there were drugs and alcohol around when we were young, the world has changed, and we now know the far reaching and devastating effects of alcohol and drug use, especially on the brain development of teenagers. Recently I was told that at local parties for grads sponsored and supervised by parents, youth as young as 13 years old were at the party, alcohol in hand. Parents need to be aware of where their children are at all times, and not hesitate to question their children about where they are going and what they are doing. Of equal concern are stories I hear that parents are driving and dropping off their 13 year olds at bush parties and providing them with alcohol. Parents, by their actions, are the most powerful models for children and youth of what is acceptable and safe behaviour. Our schools will continue to educate students about the realities of the world we live in so that better, safer, and informed decisions are made by our youth. As well, our schools will continue to work with local agencies to provide students with information on topics of concern. But the issues our children encounter typically are beyond the direct control of schools; they occur in our communities outside of school hours and school days. These issues reside in the realm of families and the communities as a whole. We all need to be aware of issues in our communities and we all need to have the moral and ethical fortitude to shed light on such issues, take responsibility for them, and then deal with them. Over the last year the RCMP have spearheaded community programs called “Community Prevention Education Continuum” (CPEC) in an effort to coordinate the support that various organizations provide in educating our youth to make safe choices in order to reduce drug and alcohol use, and the associated crime. Castlegar and area has already established a CPEC program, and Greater Trail is in the process of establishing CPEC during the month of June. As we draw near to the end of another school year, I sincerely wish all of our students and families a safe, relaxing and happy summer. Parents, please take the time to know what your children are doing, where they are going, and with whom they are interacting. I realize that some youth will be offended with your efforts to proactively be involved in their life, but I also realize that that’s the job we sign up for when we have children, and there will come a time when our children will thank us for the job we’ve done. Most sincerely, Jean Borsa Superintendent of Schools
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