Post Classifieds
Academy discourages bullies
By Michael Canfield
On April 7, 2012
Several Buffalo State students, staff and faculty members from the Center for Health and Social
Research and the criminal justice department took center stage March 24 at the Youth Police
Academy, teaching seventh and eighth graders about the importance of physical and mental well
being.
The academy, in its 17th year, was held at Buffalo Police headquarters downtown.
Children from the city and surrounding suburbs who enrolled in the academy went through a
full day of trainings, lectures and physical activities, all meant to improve physical and mental
health. Approximately 50 middle school students were present for the academy.
One important aspect of the academy is having the children interact with police officers in a
positive way, something that doesn't always happen in their day-to-day lives, said Buffalo police
officer Genevieve Rak.
"You want kids to know that we do a lot of good things," she said. "You want them to realize
that police are there to help them."
After eating breakfast and listening to an officer speak about drug abuse, the seventh and eighth
graders visited different interactive stations set up by the Buffalo State students. The kids jumped
rope, did push-ups and competed in a relay race before sitting back down for a discussion on
mental health, led by Jonathan Lindner, health educator and research in Buffalo State's Center
for Health and Social Research.
"Our goal was to impart positive behaviors on them, not the negative behaviors," Lindner
said. "The kids were very engaged and asked a lot of really great questions."
During lunch, Daniel Harris, an Erie County Deputy Sheriff, spoke to the group about his recent
driving while intoxicated charge as part of his community service. Harris struck a house in the
Village of Akron in January.
"I'm here to tell you guys, you know, don't make the same mistakes I did," Harris said to the
group. "Think before you do something, because you never know. You folks are young enough
to make the right decision."
After lunch, a skit on bullying was performed by the Police Explorer Scouts, a group of 14 to 19-
year-olds who compete with other scouts from around the country in law enforcement activities.
The skits focused on physical and mental bullying, as well as bullying taking place on social
networking sites like Facebook. Jennifer O'Neil, a Buffalo State student in the Criminal Justice
Honor Society, finished the presentation by imparting her personal experiences with bullying on
the group of young students.
"You have to stay true to yourself, and education is most important," she said.
The day finished with a presentation on cyber crime and a tour of the camera room. The students
involved in the program received a certificate of community service. The hope is that the positive
message is received, in spite of negative influences in the children's lives, said Michele Graves,
Community Coordinator for the Center for Health and Social Research.
"Our message is: be different than that," she said, referring to the negative influences kids face
on the street. "You don't have to go down that path."
Michael Canfield can be reached by email at canfield.record@live.com.
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