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The proper approach
The School Board is taking the proper approach to a difficult, sensitive issue in its plan to develop a child saftey program in the public schools.
By incorporating child abuse in such a program, the board will downplay the sensational aspects while giving the problem serious attention. And make no mistake about it - the sick people who prey on children are here in Rappahannock just as they are in the metropolitan areas where daily headlines scream stories of cruelty and neglect.
Our children need help in saying no, whether it be to the~ self-inflicted abuse of cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs or to emotional, physical and sexual abuse imposed by others.
There are additional lessons which should be included in a safety program here. In this day when both mothers and fathers are often employed, “latch-key” children come home to houses where there is no adult supervision. In Rappahannock, those houses are frequently heated with wood. In Rappahannock, the next door neighbor may be a mile away. This aspect of rural life presents potential dangers that don’t face youngsters in more urban environments; our child safety program should address those dangers.
We applaud the School Board’s intention to involve parents and others in the community in the planning process. By giving them a say, the board will build broad based support for its efforts.
We already agree that our children should be protected. We must only reach agreement on what exactly they should be protected from.
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