ODU's ISOC Sponsors Child Abuse Prevention Fair April 5
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. To bring attention to this important issue, Old Dominion University's In Support of Children (ISOC) organization is sponsoring an extravaganza with speakers, music, games, crafts and activities for children and teens, plus information for parents, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 5, in the Athletic Administration Building gymnasium.
President Roseann Runte will deliver the welcome speech on the center stage at 11 a.m., followed by an invocation by Rabbi Lawrence Forman. Katharine Kersey, professor of early childhood education and chair of ODU's Department of Early Childhood, Speech-Language Pathology and Special Education, will be the keynote speaker.
Kersey recently produced the second edition of her award-winning "The 101's: A Guide to Positive Discipline," a multimedia/interactive program based on her research. The guide is a user-friendly training tool offering solutions to child-care providers, teachers and parents to help children become happier, better equipped to settle differences peaceably and more self-directed.
Activities for children will include games, T-shirt painting, face painting, jewelry making, relay races and more. "Kid Talk" and "Teen Talk" areas will offer opportunities for children and adolescents to talk with each other and with an adult moderator on topics such as "How to Feel Good About Yourself" and "How Do I Get My Parents to Listen?"
Parents and professionals also will have an opportunity to speak with experts about positive parenting strategies. Discussion topics include "Hidden Risks of Corporal Punishment" and "Steps to Effective Problem-Solving in Parent-Child Conflict."
Other community organizations participating in the event include the Barry Robinson Center, the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Hampton Roads, Prevent Child Abuse Hampton Roads, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, For Kids, Norfolk Public Library Treasure Truck, the UP CENTER, Fleet and Family Services, Community Mediation Center, ACCESS (formerly CandII), CASA of Newport News, CASA Norfolk, Post Institute for Family Centered Therapy, and Kids Priority One. Campus student organizations include Alpha Phi Alpha, Junior Class Council, Sigma Lambda Upsilon, Zeta Phi Beta, Latino Student Alliance, Delta Zeta, ODU Optimist Club, In Support of Children, DESTINED, TRUST, Human Services Association and the Student Environmental Health Association.
The mission of ISOC is to raise public awareness of all forms of child abuse, to educate the public about the connections between physical punishment and abuse, and to focus community attention on the plight of children. For more information contact Lucien Lombardo, professor of sociology and criminal justice, at 683-3800 or llombard@odu.edu.