HOULTON, Maine — What can be discovered in the open was shocking to those who attended last Thursday night’s “Hidden In Plain Sight” exhibit at Furniture & Floors North in Houlton.
Kelley Fitzpatrick of Furniture & Floors North and her crew set up a mock teenager’s bedroom.
“I want to thank Kelley and her workers for the effort they have gone to here,” said Mark Shea, acting director of the Aroostook Substance Abuse Prevention based out of Caribou. “It is a fabulous display. We made it as real as possible.”
“A lot of the hides are really well done,” said Sheriff Darrell Crandall, “and consistent with what we are seeing on a regular basis.”
A portion of the back area at Furniture & Floors North was turned into a typical teenager’s bedroom right from posters, stereo speakers, trophies to wall hangings. Dressers were filled with clothing, bookcases full of mementos, photographs, video game cases and knickknacks to a desk and bed.
Those attending the exhibit were asked to locate items that may expose risky behavior from drugs/drinking to eating disorders and sexual activity. As everyone milled around the room, most of the obvious items were quickly located, while some were quite clever and well disguised among everyday bits and pieces that can be sitting in plain sight.
An example was a stuffed animal. Heather Johnson had picked up the animal and looked at it, but was stunned when someone else came along and exposed a slit in its back.
“The scary part is that I looked him all over and then she went over and she pulled him apart,” said Johnson. “You can think you are ripping the place apart and you missed it.”
Participants hunted around the room for about 20 minutes looking for as many possible hiding places as possible and then Shea took the participants on a guided tour of where all the items were located.
“There is a lot to think about,” he said. “We certainly do not want to advocate for parents to go home and turn their child’s bedroom upside down looking for signs of drug use or other things. One of the best ways that parents can have good communication with their teen is to ask questions, such as where they are going when they go out, who they will be with, and what time they will be home. It’s a good idea to have a curfew and to have consequences if that curfew is broken. When teens know that their parents are paying attention, they are less likely to use drugs and alcohol.”
Shea noted a conversation is far better than a confrontation.
“Some tips that parents can use include showing concern for their child’s well-being, keeping a cool head instead of overreacting, and being direct about their concerns regarding their child’s behavior and what they would like the child to do about it,” he explained. “It’s also important to give lots of praise and positive feedback. Teens need to hear the ‘good stuff’ just like the rest of us and to know that adults can see beyond the things they’ve done wrong.”
In today’s society, teens have a lot of freedom; they are always at risk for engaging in risky behavior and there are countless opportunities for them to test the limits.
“That’s their job as teenagers,” Shea said. “A parent’s job is to make the limits clear and to monitor them. Parents should keep in mind that this kind of monitoring is not a violation of trust — it should be a regular and expected part of parenting throughout the pre-teen and teen years.”
Houlton Police Chief Joe McKenna spent most of his law enforcement career in southern Florida.
“I came from a large metropolitan area and one thing I have heard over and over from kids is they never had structure in their life,” said McKenna. “They never had anyone hold them accountable for things.”
About 40 people attended last Thursday’s event.
“I was overwhelmed by all of the community partners — businesses, schools, churches, law enforcement agencies, and individuals — who came together to make this event a success,” Shea said. “I think all the folks who attended left with a lot of useful information.”
Johnson and Rhonda Foster both were impressed with the presentation.
“I thought it was very helpful,” said Foster. “In some ways it is not a topic we want to think about or that we are comfortable with. However, as parents, we need to do our job and be a parent and monitor these behaviors.”
Johnson added, “I was absolutely surprised and it was very enlightening,” she said. “I agree with what the Chief said exactly — our kids need structure and we need to be paying attention to them all the time and letting them know we love and care about them.”
