|
On Friday, October 21, 2001, the Schubert Center hosted a community conference on Understanding the Impact of Violence on Children and Adolescents. The all-day conference, held at The Forum in downtown Cleveland, drew more than 300 participants. It included two keynote addresses, morning and afternoon panel sessions, exhibits, and a book signing.
James Garbarino, Ph.D., opened the conference with a keynote address on the ecology of youth violence. Dr. Garbarino is Professor of Human Development and Co- Director of the Family Life Development Center at Cornell University. He received rave reviews from the audience for his discussion of the complex factors and conditions that promote or discourage violence in youth.
The morning panel session focused on the consequences of children’s exposure to violence. It included presentations by Daniel Flannery, Ph.D., of the Institute for the Study and Prevention of Violence at Kent State University, and Mark Singer, Ph.D., of the Mandel School for Applied Social Sciences at CWRU, both of whom are leading researchers in the field of youth violence.
The afternoon panel focused on programs for children exposed to and exhibiting violence. It included video presentations and discussion with two community leaders in violence prevention. Elsie Day, Program Coordinator for the Cuyahoga County Children Who Witness Violence Program, described the program’s work to coordinate the efforts of community systems, such as law enforcement and the mental health, that interact with children and families experiencing violence. Michael Walker, Director of Partnership for a Safer Cleveland, spoke about the role that “Young Ladies and Gentlemen’s Clubs” play in providing inner-city youth in Cleveland with positive mentoring and peer interaction, and with opportunities for personal growth.
The conference closed with a keynote address by Alvin Poussaint, M.D., Director of the Media Center of the Judge Baker Children’s Center in Boston and Faculty Associate Dean of Student Affairs at Harvard Medical School. Known for his efforts to curb portrayals of violence in the media and his expertise on race relations in the United States, Dr. Poussaint spoke about the important role that parents, professionals, advocates and ordinary citizens play in preventing violence in children’s lives.
In a special moment, Elsie Day presented a commendation from Cuyahoga County Commissioners to Donald Freedheim, Ph.D., Founding Director of the Schubert Center and Professor Emeritus of Psychology at CWRU. The Commissioners honored Professor Freedheim for his longstanding service to the community in developing services and support for children, adolescents, and their families.
Many free publications and resources were distributed, including the Surgeon General’s Report on Youth Violence.
The Community Prosecution Program, the Cuyahoga County Mental Health Board, and Appletree Books had exhibits, and the day closed with a book signing by the keynote speakers. Special thanks are extended to Jennifer Shaw, who skillfully organized the conference. Support was also provided by the Armington Program for Research on Social and Moral Values in Children, the Center for Biomedical Ethics, the Childhood Studies Program, the Hallinan Project, and the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, all of CWRU.
|
