State legislators pick week to promote teen safety

A week to focus attention on teen safety online, in dating and in daily life, known as "Teen Personal Safety Awareness Week," was officially announced Tuesday.

The week, Nov. 1 through 7, was created by state legislative resolution to encourage schools to mount campaigns teaching safety awareness through such forums as school assemblies, seminars, videos and poster contests.

"If you can just teach one person how to defend themselves or get out of a bad situation, then it's all worthwhile," said Assemb. Andrew Raia (R-East Northport), who co-sponsored the resolution with fellow Republicans Assemb. James Conte of Huntington Station, and state Sens. John Flanagan of East Northport and Carl Marcellino of Syosset. "Between the stalkers, the bullies and the pedophiles, it's not easy being a kid anymore."

But Raia said the real force behind the initiative was Dix Hills mother, lawyer, women's safety activist and Mrs. New York International 2009 pageant winner Lidia Szczepanowski-Goldsmith, who was ceremonially handed a copy of the resolution yesterday.

Her nonprofit National Organization for Women's Safety Awareness is focused on helping women and girls, age 12 and up, learn to avoid and get out of potentially violent situations.

Among its initiatives is "Covers for a Cause," which will sell at cost textbook covers with messages and graphics on personal safety.

She said that she herself was victimized by a relative she barely knew when visiting overseas family at age 13, and "made it a personal commitment to myself that I never wanted to be a victim again."

Teen Personal Safety Awareness Week "begins with education," she said. She hopes that by instilling vital information early, "it will be a message that will stay with them for life."