The Fenn School Speaker Series: Michael Thompson, "Best Friend/Worst Enemies"

The Fenn School: Michael Thompson

"Best Friends/Worst Enemies: Friendship Development, Popularity and Social Cruelty in Childhood" 

Recent media attention on bullying in schools has many parents seeing childhood social relationships only through the lens of bullying. That focus is simplistic and unfortunate because most school communities are a place of tolerance and inclusion, as well as occasional bullying. For children, the relationship with friends is one of the most important things in their lives, a source of learning and growing. However, all children also discover social power and experiment with teasing and exclusion. Classes are stratified into very popular, accepted, ambiguous, neglected, controversial and rejected children. In this talk, Dr. Thompson will distinguish between the normal social pain of childhood from which all children learn and actual bullying, which is traumatizing. He will discuss ways in which communities can make children safer. 
   
This event is free and open to the public and will take place in the Meeting & Performance Hall at The Fenn School. 

Please email oachtmeyer@fenn.org to reserve your seat.