Poor Attendance at Adolescent Danger Seminar

A poorly attended seminar Tuesday on the dangers facing adolescents at Miller Place High School disappointed the speaker, Father Frank Pizzarelli, and school officials who felt the topic was something area parents and students needed to hear

“The community has always responded well to these meetings,” said acting Principal Kevin Slavin.  “[The attendance] was not as many as we hoped.”   

Father Pizzarelli, director and founder of Hope House Ministries, hosted a seminar with an intention to direct parents and students towards a discussion about what teens face in school. 

He began his presentation with a comment regarding the attendance, of no more than fifteen concerned parents of the issues teens face. 

“Symbolically,” he said, “[the empty seats] represent some of our neighbors and friends who need to be here.” 

He then read off some chilling statistics referencing an article he saw in the National Children’s Defense Fund.  Father Pizzarelli noted statistics that tonight, 30 children will be wounded by guns, 200 will be arrested due to drugs and alcohol abuse, 2,860 of children’s parents will divorce, and lastly, 100,000 children will be homeless. 

“It’s troubling…many of those things are happening in Miller Place, Port Jefferson and Mt. Sinai,” Father Pizzarelli said. 

Angela Bogdan, a Miller Place parent, said peer pressure based around drugs and alcohol is a major concern to her as a parent of a teen.  Bogdan commented on the seminar.

“I thought it would be a good thing to have an open communication between parents and students,” she said.

Another thought Father Pizzarelli shared with the audience was referencing the community’s fear of harassment, bullying and disrespect if it becomes public that indeed this is a problem amongst particular families. Father Pizzarelli also talked briefly about the popular social networking sites, Facebook and Twitter. 

“Social networking should be banned for what it’s creating,” he said.

Father Pizzarelli also discussed what could be causing the problem of substance abuse in the community.  One idea, he thought, could begin with the parents and how some may feel underage drinking isn’t so bad. 

According to www.socialhostliability.org, under New York State Law 11-100, “a social host who unlawfully procures alcoholic beverages for consumption by an underage person may be held liable for any damages caused by such person who became intoxicated as a result of such consumption.”

“Somehow we have to model respect for the law,” he said.