In an effort to address violence and its prevention on all levels, a panel discussion will be held on the University campus tonight.
The event, which includes a dinner, will be hosted by the University’s Marriage and Family Therapy Program and will feature a variety of panelists from a number of fields.
The central theme of the discussion will be violence prevention for the individual, as well as the role of the family, school and community.
“We will look at it from a systemic point of view,” said John Miller, an assistant professor in family therapy at the College of Education. “Not just individuals but everyone.”
The panelists will present preventive approaches from various fields before opening a dialogue through a question-and-answer session.
“The four panelists will be addressing three questions related to violence,” said Jeff Sprague, a panelist and co-director of the University Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior. “I will take the lead on addressing the root causes of violence.”
Panelists also include members of the community who have seen the growing effects of violence.
“We have had a significant increase in crime in the past 10 to 20 years, especially violent juvenile crime,” said Steve Carmichael, a featured panelist and director of the Lane County Department of Youth Services. “I will be talking about the crime rate and ways to deal with families involving juveniles, as well as problem solving.”
The event is open to the public. School counselors, teachers, administrators, therapists, family advocates and clergy who work with adolescents are also encouraged to attend.
“It is meant to inform people who work with youth, to give them ideas on how to prevent violence and work with families,” Miller said.