Dr. Robert Crosnoe
Social media, teen communication and risk-taking behavior will be a few of the research topics highlighted when the Center for Children and Families holds its fourth annual forum on Friday.
The event, Healthy Connections: Shaping Relationships and Achievement in High School, is free and open to the public. Featuring top researchers in psychology, sociology and neuroscience, the forum will explore how health, peer relationships and social development impact academic success and growth among adolescents.
Dr. Robert Crosnoe, professor of sociology at The University of Texas at Austin and author of more than 70 books and articles on adolescence, will deliver the keynote address.
Dr. Margaret Tresch Owen, director of the Center for Children and Families and Robinson Family Professor, said that families, school personnel and policymakers could use information from the forum to promote the success of their teens and high schools.
Dr. Margaret Tresch Owen
“The forum will help parents, teachers, counselors, coaches and others become more informed about how teens’ social problems can impede both short-term and long-term development trajectories,” Owen said.
Crosnoe will discuss teens navigating the difficult social structures found in American high schools. His multi-method approach to studying teens is designed to help identify those at risk for social marginalization and offers advice on improving long-term outcomes.
The schedule also includes talks by UT Dallas faculty and a luncheon with remarks from Regina Montoya of Children’s Medical Center.
Dr. Marion Underwood, Ashbel Smith Professor, will discuss how the use of new communication technologies, such as text messaging and Facebook, may influence adolescents’ psychological well-being. Dr. Francesca Filbey, associate professor at the Center for BrainHealth, will talk about the relationship between an adolescent’s brain and risk-taking behaviors. Dr. Robert Ackerman, assistant professor, will discuss the long-term effects of a positive family environment in adolescence on an individual’s later marital relationships.
The event is free to all, but preregistration is necessary. Lunch is $10 and must be requested when registering to attend the forum. Continuing education credits are available for $10.