Transition forum cautions parents on incidents with Lakenheath kids

Transition forum cautions parents on incidents with Lakenheath kids
By Sean Kimmons, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Thursday, May 8, 2008

RAF FELTWELL, England — Prescription drug abuse, students cutting themselves and semi-nude images of high-school partygoers posted on the Internet are some of the incidents reported at RAF Lakenheath’s schools.

Ninetta Brown, the liaison officer for the schools, recently launched “Student Transition Forums” with school counselors and base support officials to inform parents about issues kids face when moving on to higher-level schools. The second of three one-hour forums, held on Tuesday at Lakenheath Middle School, drew only a few parents.

“Kids will be kids no matter where they attend,” Brown said. “We just want parents to be aware of these subjects.”

One key issue was easy access to social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook. These sites are intended to stay in touch with friends but can also be used inappropriately.

Roger Volk and Linda Leon, from RAF Lakenheath’s Adolescent Substance Abuse Counseling Services, brought up examples of Internet misuse. Scandalous images taken at a party, then posted onto MySpace, quickly spread throughout the high school. The incident resulted in two students being kicked off the school’s soccer and cheerleading teams, Volk said.


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