DURHAM, N.H. -- The incidence of teen and pre-teen bullying continues to be a problem across the United States in schools and playgrounds in urban, suburban, and rural communities as well as online.

University of New Hampshire Professional Development and Training, in collaboration with the UNH Justice Studies Program, will host a one-day conference on "School Bullying: Issues and Strategies," Friday, Dec. 3, 2010, to look at the issues involved and provide strategies for intervention, prevention, and family support.

Designed for school administrators, teachers, guidance counselors, social workers, law enforcement personnel, and related professionals, the conference will be held at UNH in Manchester, 400 Commercial St., from 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Check-in begins at 8:15 a.m.

Education department chair Todd DeMitchell, professor of education and Lamberton Professor of Justice Studies, will give the keynote address, "Bullies, Threats, and Intimidation: The Conundrum of Free Speech." DeMitchell will examine the right of free speech and its limits when it relates to bullying and the use of free speech as the bully's defense.

Four concurrent breakout sessions will follow in the morning and afternoon. The sessions will be:

• Lessons Learned from the New Hampshire Youth Study: Including Peers and Parents in Interventions presented by Ellen Cohn, Coordinator of the UNH Justice Studies Program and professor of psychology and justice studies.
• Developing an Effective "Bystander Program": Training Teachers and Students to Intervene presented by Robert Eckstein who teaches psychology and justice studies and has done research on bystander programs.
• School Techniques for Intervening with Various Types of Bullies presented by Donna Perkins, a justice studies professor and researcher on school bullying and aggression.
• Dysfunctional Families and Early Risk Factors Linked to Bullying presented by Anita Remig, a children and family private practitioner and expert in ADHD, LD, PDD, and the human brain.

The cost of the conference is $199 and includes lunch, breaks, and materials. The conference is approved by the National Association of Social Workers, NH Chapter, for 5 Category 1 Continuing Education Credits (Auth. #2759). UNH also will award 5.5 hours of continuing education (.55 CEUs).

Individuals can obtain information, download a brochure, and register at www.learn.unh.edu/bullying. Registration by phone (603-862-2015), mail, and fax is also possible. For more information about the conference, call (603) 862-4234 or send an email to professional.development@unh.edu.

UNH Professional Development and Training is an office within the UNH Graduate School whose mission is to serve individuals, businesses, and organizations in New Hampshire and surrounding regions by offering a wide range of one-day noncredit seminars, short-term noncredit certificate programs, conferences, and on-site customized training. Programs are designed to assist professionals in developing new or advanced knowledge and skills in a variety of fields. Instruction provides a balance of theory and practical skills that participants can immediately apply to the workplace. For more information, visit http://www.learn.unh.edu/pcw.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling more than 12,200 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students.

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