Preventing bullying: Summer institute to focus on creating safe learning environments

July 27, 2012

Teachers and childcare workers are invited to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for important training in preventing bullying among children.

The event, Aug. 8 -9, will feature a dynamic speaker and research-based interventions to equip participants with tools to recognize bullying and create safe environments.

"From a teacher's perspective, bullying is not always obvious. It happens in very subtle ways," said Amy Stevens Griffith, professor of special education. "The summer institute will help people become better attuned to the signs and symptoms of bullying."

Dorothy Espelage, professor of educational psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is this year's facilitator. Espelage is an international expert on bullying whose research has appeared in more than 100 publications. She has received numerous teaching awards, consulted on high-profile projects including the Holocaust Museum, and appeared on the Discovery Channel, Good Morning America, PBS specials and the Oprah Winfrey Show.

Anyone who works with children or is concerned about bullying is invited to attend, Griffith said.

Participants will learn how to identify the signs of bullying, learn why bullying occurs, and understand its impact on children and organizations.  Additional topics include in-depth discussions on cyberbulling, and the role of teachers, service providers and schools in providing safe communities.

Registration is $200. Group discounts are available. For more information, visit http://www.uww.edu/conteduc/camps/otherevents/summerinstitute.php.

Graduate students are invited to attend, too, and can take optional course credit. Attending the pre- and post-institute sessions (Aug. 6, 7, 10 and 11) is required for students earning three credits.