Nearly a third of all students report being bullied at school, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Victims include girls and boys, public and private school students. What’s more, the Internet and cell phones have opened new avenues through which youth can be victimized. And the effects can be devastating: bullied students are more likely to take a weapon to school, to be involved in a physical fight, to receive lower grades and to suffer from anxiety, depression and other physical and mental health problems.
The Session:
We’ll focus on the issues surrounding bullying and the effect of bullying on youth nationwide. Youth safety expert Michael Dorn will provide insight into why bullying occurs. Then he’ll provide information and resources to help youth development and family strengthening professionals and parents prevent bullying in our communities.
The Expert:
Michael Dorn is executive director of Safe Havens International Inc., a nonprofit school and youth safety center whose analysts have worked in more than two dozen countries to create safer environments for young people. For more than 20 years, Dorn served as a school district police officer and chief before being appointed school safety specialist for the state of Georgia and, later, lead program manager of the Terrorism Emergency Preparedness Division of the Georgia Office of Homeland Security. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. Dorn has 25 books on school safety and appearances on National Public Radio, CNN, 20/20, Good Morning America, Univision and Tokyo Broadcasting to his credit.
