Human Services News

From University of Virginia:

Bullying is not a matter of bad kids versus good kids, but is a situation in which both children need help in learning how to channel their emotions and interact successfully with others.

So says Peter Sheras, professor of clinical and school psychology at the University of Virginia Curry School of Education and author of a book on bullying.

In addition to Sheras, Edith "Winx" Lawrence, co-founder and co-director of an innovative mentoring program for middle school girls, can speak specifically to issues of bullying among girls.

Associate director of the Virginia Youth Violence Project, he counsels schools nationwide on factors that can trigger violence among youth.

His work includes service as a co-coordinator of the Charlottesville/Albemarle School Crisis Network and as a member of the Phi Delta Kappa National Task Force on Adolescent Suicide.

Among his other books and articles, he is co-author of the Stress Index for Parents of Adolescents, which takes into account the many things, such as crushes, dating and peer relationships, that cause stress in youth.

Lawrence teaches graduate courses in marital and family therapy, supervises doctoral students' clinical and research work, and sees adolescents, couples and families herself in the clinic affiliated with the graduate program.

She also directs the Family Empowerment Project, which focuses on both research and clinical work with multi-problem families in the community.

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