Workshop urges parents to protect their teens

Lakeside High School is inviting parents to hear John Clarkin's Parent to Parent.

The workshop will focus on the need for parents to network and connect with each other to provide protection against the what Clarkin describes as the "toxic teen culture."

"There is a new and virulent toxic culture spreading throughout our nation's young," said Clarkin, president of the Atlanta company The Passage Group. "This culture has redefined fun for our children. In today's world, video games are aggressively violent, television shows and commercials bombard kids with sexual content, clothing catalogues and magazines glorify adolescent promiscuity while musical lyrics continue to mix violence, sex, vulgar language and a disregard for character and integrity."

The free event will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at Lakeside High School. It will be an introduction to an eight-tape series that has been purchased by the school to educate parents on some practical ways they can protect their children.

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Each of the eight sessions is conducted by a local representative who uses the videos to convey information regarding issues such as alcohol and drug use, character development and communication skills.

"Even if they don't want to come to the eight sessions, just hearing what he says will open their eyes," said Debby Balcer, president of Lakeside's Parent Teacher Student Organization. "This is not for bad kids, this is to keep them from being pulled into the culture and sliding down the slope."

Balcer said the concept of Parent to Parent is for parents to attend the sessions with other parents in their child's circle of friends, so they can all network and become aware of tactics they can use to keep their children safe.

"It doesn't try to tell you what values you should have, just what's out there, so you can ask the right questions," Balcer said, "and your kids will not be in places where they will be harmed."