WESTMINSTER
| SPRING 2009
| BULLETIN
Hill Headlines
The Social Lives of Youth Dr. Michael Thompson, one of the nation’s preeminent school psychologists, visited Westminster in October to meet with faculty, students and parents to discuss issues related to the social lives of youth today. A consultant, author and psychologist with a specialty in children and families, he has worked with more than 500 schools across the United States and abroad. He is very familiar with boarding school life, having consulted with many boarding schools throughout his 30-year career.
Dr. Thompson with students following his presentation. After meeting with faculty early in the day, Dr. Thompson spoke with students and faculty in the Werner Centennial Center about the social pressures kids face growing up. He asked the students to define friendship and popularity and explained how important friendships are to a person’s well being as early as sixth grade. He then talked about social groups and the harm that can come when students feel excluded from those groups.
“When schools are at their very best, they get everyone to pull together,” he explained. “What I like to see in a school is where everyone gets an opportunity to shine and win the respect of others.” Dr. Thompson has written a number of acclaimed books about the social lives of children including “Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys,” “Best Friends/Worst Enemies: Understanding the Social Lives of Children,” “The Pressured Child,” and his newest book, “It’s a Boy,” He also has been a guest on the Today Show, the Oprah Winfrey Show, the ABC News show 20/20, CBS News and several other national programs. Later in the day, students and faculty viewed a PBS documentary Dr. Thompson co-authored, hosted and narrated titled "Raising Cain: Focus on Boys," which aired in January 2006. It explores the emotional development of boys in America today and features Dr. Thompson conducting in-depth interviews with boys, social workers and educators. One of the social workers featured in the documentary was Sam Healy ’83, shown below, who provides clinical supervision of the social work services for eight Boys & Girls Clubs in Boston and Chelsea, and direct social work services in the Chelsea Club. Sam, who is a graduate of Boston University School of Social Work, says he thought the documentary did a great job of showing “how our culture influences boys’ emotional development and how much help so many need managing their emotions and their internal controls.” Sam remains in contact with Michael a couple of times a year.
Dr. Michael Thompson discusses the social pressures youth face today.
“Michael Thompson is a generous, passionate and insightful educator,” said Sam. “It is so important for parents and all adults working with children to understand and accept the responsibility that every single interaction influences a child’s development, their views of who they are and what they are capable of. Michael has added so much to the awareness of the emotional and social development of youth. “I also think that we are on the cusp of a paradigm shift in child rearing, youth development and education,” added Sam. “It is so much more effective and efficient to focus on the positives and ‘greatness’ of children and youth, instead of the problems, negatives and punishments. People find what they are looking for, and what we pay attention to grows.” After seeing the PBS documentary, Westminster students met with their advisors to discuss some of the issues raised during Dr. Thompson’s visit. The day concluded with Dr. Thompson giving a talk to parents.
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