CHARLESTON, W.Va. – U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of West Virginia Booth Goodwin has been traveling the state talking with kids about the dangers of bullying, prescription drug abuse and internet safety.
On Thursday, he was in McDowell County speaking at River View High School and, on Friday, in Kanawha County at Stonewall Jackson Middle School and Herbert Hoover High School.
So far the U.S. Attorney has given presentations at 25 schools in the southern half of the state. He said he wants to reach out to kids before crime reaches out to them.
“I think a prosecutor’s job is every bit as much about prevention as it is prosecution,” Goodwin said.
Goodwin said, in this day and age, if the students themselves aren’t involved in bullying, drugs or problems on the internet, chances are they know someone who is. It could be family, friends or classmates and it’s starting at an earlier age.
“Unfortunately these are key issues that we’re seeing in our middle schools. [These kids] need to know the dangers of those issues.”
Goodwin said kids are old enough to understand and grasp the concept that bad choices now can lead to worse choices later.
“Our presentation is about making good decisions and that’s really the common thread that runs through all of this,” stressed Goodwin.
He believes if his talk helps just one student stay away from dangerous activity, it’s been well worth it.