Raising Responsible Boys in the Digital Age

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

    WHAT:     Nationally recognized experts will come together to discuss
              specific strategies parents and educators can use to help
              boys (and girls) derive the most benefit from their
              increasing participation in the digital world, including
              ways to foster empathy, learning, and wise choices. For a
              second year, the "What the Tech?" conference will explore
              national trends in education and digital media, as well as
              release new research on teen brains and ways to use this
              knowledge to empower youth to make wise choices. Nationally
              recognized experts will address current trends in social
              media and youth culture and share creative ways to bridge
              the new digital divide and turn kids' interest in digital
              media into a vehicle for learning and violence prevention.

              "This conference allows us to learn about the ways in which
              technology impacts the lives of children, and how we as
              educators, parents, and leaders in the community can foster
              wise choices in their daily lives, both on and offline,"
              said Director of the Rape Treatment Center Gail Abarbanel.
              "In schools across the nation, many students are witnesses
              to or bystanders in situations in which they could help or
              prevent their peers from being bullied, harassed, or abused.
              This conference spurs impactful dialogue on how to equip our
              students with social and ethical decision-making skills."

    WHO:     Gail Abarbanel, Director, Rape Treatment Center
              Catherine Paura & Angela Paura, Capstone Global Marketing and
              Research Group, Inc.
              Peg Tyre, nationally recognized, Pulitzer-winning journalist
              and author
              Frances Jensen, M.D., Chair, Department of Neurology,
              Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
              S. Craig Watkins, Ph.D., Professor of Radio-Television-
              Film, University of Texas at Austin
              Constance Steinkuehler, Ph.D., Associate Professor in Digital
              Media and Co-Director, Games+Learning+Society Center,
              University of Wisconsin-Madison
              Jackson Katz, Ph.D., educator, filmmaker, social theorist,
              author, and founder of Mentors in Violence Prevention
              Program, Northeastern University

    WHEN:    Thursday, January 31, 2013
             8:30 am - 2:30 pm

    WHERE:   The California Endowment
             1000 North Alameda Street
             Los Angeles, CA 90012

    CONTACT:  Media should RSVP for this event by contacting Aimee Dewing
              at adewing@griffinschein.com

Visual and Interview Opportunities Include:

    --  Capture speakers' presentations at the conference
    --  Interview Gail Abarbanel, Director, Rape Treatment Center
    --  Interview panelists and speakers

For more information on the "What the Tech?" conference visit: http://whatthetechconference.com/

BACKGROUND

The Rape Treatment Center
The Rape Treatment Center (RTC) at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center is nationally recognized for its exemplary treatment, education, and prevention programs. The RTC provides comprehensive, free treatment for sexual assault victims, including 24-hour emergency medical care and forensic services, counseling and psychotherapy, advocacy, and accompaniment services; training for police, prosecutors, judges, medical and mental health personnel, and other providers of rape victim services; prevention/education programs for children, adolescents, and college students; community education; consultation for schools, the media, government agencies, and other organizations; and educational films and publications that are distributed nationwide.

The RTC has received many honors, including commendations from Congress, the Governor of California, and the California state legislature, and awards from the YWCA, American Association of University Women, National Association of Social Workers, Coro Foundation, and the National Organization for Victim Assistance. To learn more, visit: http://therapefoundation.org/programs/rape-treatment-center/

SOURCE Rape Treatment Center