Playing Games With Teens' Emotions or a Unique Way to Scare Kids Straight?

When I visited schools in Western New York this spring to tell them Karen's story, there were quite a few tears. Some shed by me as I shared the emotions of what my family and I have been through in the past 10 years, and some more shed by students in the audience who could relate to something I said. In my presentation, I go through the entire experience of
March 6, 1998 - what it was like being told that my only sister was killed by a drunk driver.

In a California high school last month, police officers visited 20 classrooms with news that several students were killed in car wrecks. Kids became hysterical. Hours later they were told that it was all an exercise designed to "scare kids straight" about drinking and driving. School officials have come under criticism for the tactics they used.

One Buffalo News reader in Orchard Park felt firmly objected to the tactic.

What do I think as a "crusader" against drunk driving? I have mixed emotions on what these CA administrators did. While I agree with the Orchard Park reader that they toyed with the kids emotions, I do know that sometimes teens just don't hear the message. Assembly after assembly this prom season I would see some kids leaving with a look on their faces that they still believed that they are invincible, thinking perhaps "even though Karen was killed, it won't happen to me". Perhaps telling students that their classmates were killed in crashes was the only way school leaders could get the message across. Will it save lives? Perhaps.

What I've been saying all along, is if I can impact one person sitting in each of those assemblies, it will be worth it. These school officials probably left a lasting impression on a lot of students.

Feel free to post comments to this blog if you agree or disagree.

Until next time...
Deanna