Program aims to help parents keep kids safe

JACKSON- When a family sits down for dinner together it can have a positive impact on everyone.

OnMarch 25 from 7-9 p.m. in the Jackson Memorial High School Fine Arts Wing, the Jackson Police Department will feature another Safety Awareness For Everyone (SAFE) program called "Keep Your Children SAFE."

The police department is presenting the program in partnership with the Jackson Municipal Alliance, the Jackson School District, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office and the New Jersey State Police.

"The overall goal of this SAFE night, as is the goal of the other SAFE nights, is to provide parents, school faculty members, family and members of the community with accurate information on the different things youths are involved in and to help keep children healthy, safe, and to protect them," Jackson Police Officer John Pejoski said.

The guest speaker for the evening will be David Julian from the Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey.

"David is a parent-educator who has been a member of the Partnership for a Drug Free New Jersey for about four years," Pejoski said. "He has been a child study team member at the Seaside Heights Elementary School for the past five years."

Pejoski said Julian has experience working with juvenile victims and was a member of the Lacey Municipal Alliance, which is affiliated with the statewide municipal alliance which provides support for any group that wants to prevent drug and alcohol abuse, and violence in the community.

The first topic for the evening will cover the positive impact of a family dinner for parents to help them keep their children safe.

"In his presentation, David will cover the positive impact on a juvenile of the entire family sitting down at the dinner table three or four times a week, which helps to prevent juveniles from experimenting with drugs by approximately 80 percent," Pejoski said. "That is compared to those juveniles, for whatever reason, who only sit down with their families once a week or not at all."

A second topic will cover the various outlets to which youths are exposed, particularly potentially destructive habits, Pejoski said.

"I will be presenting the second topic," said the officer, who has been serving the community for 15 years. "During the last five years I have been assigned as a School Resource Officer. As such, I have been fortunate to interact with students in kindergarten through 12th grade."

Pejoski said he has listened to what the young people are involved in and what they consider important.

"Additionally, they advise me of the types of things they do that are considered by adults and/or society to be destructive behavior," he said. "It is these various outlets the youths are exposed to that desensitize them and that is what I want the parents to be aware of."

This awareness session is geared toward parents, however, parents may bring their children to this session.

SAFE night is open to any parent in any town who wants to attend and bring their children. Refreshments will be provided by the Jackson Municipal Alliance. Anyone who has any questions regarding the presentation may John Pejoski at (732) 928-1111, ext. 2243, or jpejoski@jacksonsd. k12.nj.us.