Nancy Willard’s vision is that young people will provide leadership throughout the world to embrace civility and foster positive relations!

Nancy entered the field of “bullying prevention” by writing the first book ever published on cyberbullying. She approaches issues of youth risk based on a digital age perspective. Key insight related to this perspective is that the “authoritarian mindset,” which assumes that adults are in control, is not well founded. Nancy and I discuss how she got to this point and her approaches.

Her approach to youth risk prevention recognizes that in the digital age it is necessary for adults to empower young people with the values and skills to embrace civility. To help young people foster positive relationships requires a focus on the quality of the school  climate, empowering young people with the values and skills necessary to foster positive relationships, and ensuring that when adults intervene in hurtful situations this results in an effective resolution that fully supports all involved students.

Nancy has degrees in special education and law, taught “at risk” children, practiced computer law, and was an educational technology and digital safety consultant. She also experienced intense bullying as a teen.

She is the author of: Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats: Responding to the Challenge of Online Social Cruelty, Threats, and Distress (2007, Research Press) and Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens, Helping Young People Use the Internet Safety and Responsibly (2007, Jossey Bass). Cyber Savvy: Embracing Digital Safety and Civility (2011, Corwin Press).

Be sure to check out Nancy’s work!

If you are interested in having an inspirational and transformational experience yourself be sure to check out my website now to sign up for my retreat this July!

https://www.melissadasilva.com/groupretreat/

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