International experts, Professor Freda Briggs and Dr Stephen A. Rollins are in New Zealand this week, as keynote speakers for the 4th National D.A.R.E (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Conference.
They will be speaking to Police staff including members from drug squads, CIB and youth education staff about child abuse and drug use. The conference is in Masterton on Thursday 10 July to Saturday 12 July 2003. Over 100 Teachers and DARE Community Volunteer Workers will also be attending the conference.
Professor Briggs and Dr Rollins are available for media interviews. Please contact Sarah Martin to arrange an interview time: 04 474 9442 / 027 474 8005
Background
Professor Freda Briggs
Until 2002, Professor Freda Briggs occupied the foundation chair in child development at the University of South Australia. She has an unusual background. She served as a police officer in London on a child protection team, then worked as and trained residential social workers. Eventually Freda became a teacher in disadvantaged schools. When she became a lecturer, Freda introduced studies relating to child abuse and child protection and established the first multi-professional tertiary course in the English-speaking world in 1980. Since that time Freda has researched with children, child abuse victims, their parents, child sex offenders and, more recently, all professionals whose work involved protecting children. Freda has published 14 books and hundreds of journal articles. She is recognised internationally for her work in this field, lecturing to psychologists, medical students, counsellors, family court personnel, police, teachers and social workers.
Freda was awarded the Inaugural Australian Humanitarian of the Year award in 1998 and Senior Australian of the Year 2000-2001. She has been consultant to New Zealand Police and D.A.R.E. since 1986 and is the only civilian to receive a citation for her "quality advice and research" to police. Freda worked voluntarily for Save the Children’s Overseas Program Advisory Committee for seven years and for Veterans’ Affairs Children’s Program for six years. She recently undertook a lecture tour of Australia on "Children’s Views of School" (from her research "Children’s Views of Their World") and Tasmania (including the University of Tasmania, Hobart) on "Children’s Views of Grandparents". She is consultant to the Federal Minister of Education’s "Safe Schools Framework" and is a member of the Board inquiring into the handling of sex abuse cases by the Anglican Church in Queensland.
Dr. Stephen A. Rollin, Ed.D.
Dr Rollin is the Executive Associate Dean and the Director for the Centre for Education Research and Policy Studies of the College of Education. Dr. Rollin received his Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Illinois, his Masters at Indiana University and his Ed.D. at the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Rollin joined the FSU faculty in 1971 and served as both a Department Chair and the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies before assuming his current position. Dr.
Rollin’s research has focused on prevention programs for high risk behaviour among
children and adolescents. His research has been supported by the US Department of Justice and Education as well as various agencies within the State of Florida. He has worked internationally in New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, and Venezuela to name a few. Locally, Dr. Rollin has been President of Capital City Youth Services, the Neighbourhood Network and the Literacy Volunteers of Gadsden County. Dr. Rollin is broadly published and has presented the results of his work in various forums both nationally an internationally.