AGENDA
8:15-9 a.m.—Registration Check-in
9-10:15 a.m.—Welcome and Keynote
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.—4 Breakout sessions
12:30-1:15 p.m.—Lunch
1:15-3:15 p.m.—4 Breakout sessions (repeated)
KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Bullies, Threats, & Intimidation: The Conundrum of Free Speech
Free speech is one of the brightest stars among our constellation of constitutional rights. However, it is not without limits. The right of free speech presents a particular problem when looking at the issue of bullying. Free speech is often used by the bully as a defense for the comments he or she made. This presentation will examine the various sides of this complex issue and look at the question: “How free is the bully to use bullying speech and what are the limits?”
Speaker: Todd DeMitchell, Ed.D., is Professor and Chair of the University of New Hampshire’s Department of Education. He is also a Lamberton Professor of Justice Studies, in UNH’s Justice Studies Program and focuses research and work on school law, including the limits of free speech in schools. As a former teacher, principal, and superintendent of schools, he looks at bullying issues from both the practical as well as theoretical and legal dimensions.
CONCURRENT SESSIONS
(offered in morning and repeated in afternoon)
Lessons Learned from the New Hampshire Youth Study:
Including Peers and Parents in Interventions
Psychologists studying bullying have often focused on individual-level variables such as personality variables and legal attitudes of adolescents. Our ongoing longitudinal study of the predictors of delinquent behavior including bullying has found that peer factors, such as association with delinquent friends, and parental factors, such as trust in parents and parental monitoring, can sometimes be more important predictors than the individual-level variables. The purpose of this session will be to present some interventions that can be done with peers and parents to prevent bullying.
Presenter: Ellen Cohn, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology and Justice Studies at the University of New Hampshire and Coordinator of the UNH Justice Studies Program. Her scholarly work focuses on predictors of rule-violating behavior, including bullying. She is currently working on a longitudinal study funded by the National Science Foundation of the predictors of adolescent delinquent behavior.
Developing an Effective “Bystander Program”—
Training Teachers and Students to Intervene
A strategy that has emerged recently to help prevent social problems, such as drinking and driving, terrorism, sexual assault, and domestic violence, is to focus on training community members to be pro-social bystanders. Although the application of a “bystander program” to address bullying issues is still in the early phases, it offers promise. This session will discuss some of the progress that has been made thus far and examine the theory behind a bystander program and the evidence that demonstrates the program’s merit. You will look at how bystander programs can be applied to the problem of bullying and what training and education should be considered in developing such a program. You will also be instructed on some basic pro-social bystander intervention strategies that can be applied in school settings and beyond.
Presenter: Robert Eckstein, M.S., is a lecturer at the University of New Hampshire in both the Department of Psychology and the Justice Studies Program. He is also a the lead trainer and curriculum development specialist for Prevention Innovations, a research and consultation group at UNH that focuses on sexual and domestic violence education and prevention. He is coauthor of “Bringing in the Bystander: A Prevention Workshop for Establishing a Community of Responsibility,” an educational program that uses bystander intervention to help prevent violence against women.
School Techniques for Intervening
with Various Types of Bullies
The old saying, “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never harm me,” is not true-to-life, especially as we have seen in the case of bullying. And because of our basic need for social connections, sometimes the “harm” can even create a reaction by the victim in the extreme, as in the case of school shootings and teen suicide. Traditionally, bullies have been described as socially unskilled students who misinterpret social cues and react in socially inappropriate ways. However, bullies may, in fact, be socially skilled in that they accurately interpret social cues and use that knowledge to advance personal goals (e.g., status and power). In this session, you’ll look at the definition, prevalence, and consequences of bullying in schools. You’ll look at how bullies who have sophisticated social skills can go relatively undetected by school administrators and teachers, thereby unwittingly reinforcing bullying behavior and sending the message that teachers are either not interested in intervening or are unable to intervene. You’ll examine the important differences between socially skilled and unskilled bullies, increase your understanding of the characteristics of bullies, and be able to recognize and address bullying behavior more effectively.
Presenter: Donna Perkins, Ph.D., is Clinical Assistant Professor of Justice Studies University of New Hampshire. She has been doing research on bullying and relational aggression in both middle schools and high school adolescents, and has been working on interventions in middle and high schools in New Hampshire and Maine.
Dysfunctional Families and
Early Risk Factors Linked to Bullying
Do particular family styles generate a tendency in children to bully others? What are the patterns of family behavior that might give rise to dominating and hurtful child and teen behavior? In this session you will look at current research aimed at identifying the origins of bully behavior in family life. Parental communication patterns, belief systems, values, goals, time management, discipline, and stress factors will be examined for clues in understanding how children cope by using bullying. You’ll discuss factors in dysfunctional families and ways you may be able to support families in their efforts to create emotionally healthy and fair-minded children. Strategies to assist educators, counselors and coaches in their work with bullies and victims will be described.
Presenter: Anita Remig, Ed.D., has a private practice in seacoast New Hampshire, and has worked with children and families for over 30 years. She teaches university-level courses and seminars on ADHD, PDD, LD, and the human brain throughout the country.
General Information
THIS CONFERENCE IS NOW SOLD OUT
Location
The conference will be held at UNH Manchester, 400 Commercial St. For information about parking, click here. For more info about the location call (603) 641-4350.
Cost and Refund Policy (SOLD OUT)
Conference cost is $199 and includes lunch, breaks, and materials. Refunds, less a $25 processing fee, will be given if written cancellation is received five business days prior to the conference.
For More Information
About the Conference: Call (603) 862-1739
About Registration: Call (603) 862-2015
About more UNH Professional Development & Training Offerings: Call (603) 862-4234 or visit www.learn.unh.edu/pcw
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