I am an assistant principal in a middle school (grades 6-8). When I have to search a student's cell phone, I often get sick to my stomach at what I find. It gets worse and worse every year.
When we go shopping after school, I tell my son he has to leave his backpack in the car. When he wants to take a walk past dark with his friends, I tell him “no." He’s not allowed to play with guns that aren’t clearly Super Soakers. If we’re stopped by the police because our headlight is out, I say, “Remember what I taught you.”
"Just because you’re uncomfortable talking about it, doesn’t mean it no longer exists. Accept it. Talk about it. Change it. And don’t get caught outside in a snowstorm."