About the 2015 Conference

The Psychology of Boys at Risk: Indicators from 0-5

A conference presented by the Santa Fe Boys Educational Foundation in conjunction with the Infant Mental Health Journal

Eldorado Hotel, Santa Fe, New Mexico, November 5 & 6, 2015

The registration fee is $200. The fee includes counseling and social work CEUs (11.5 approved), psychologist CEUs (12 approved), and breakfast and lunch both days of the conference. Individuals interested in attending should register using the button on the right.

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Boys at Risk

Boys are disproportionately at risk for school failure, juvenile criminality, and mental health problems—issues that usually become known and of concern in adolescence. In contrast to the teenage focus, this conference will explore the roots of boys being at risk in early childhood, focusing on factors from 0 to 5 and asking how these circumstances are related to later outcomes. The Psychology of Boys at Risk: Indicators from 0-5 should be of interest to scholars, practitioners, and policy makers concerned with the development of young males, and children generally, of all ages.

The conference is being held in conjunction with the Infant Mental Health Journal. Many of the presenters are authors of articles to be published in a special issue on the psychology of boys at risk. Their presentations will be based on empirical research, some from decades-long studies exploring the longitudinal connections between early development and later problematic behaviors. They will address the subjects listed below:

  • Longitudinal study of early deprivation and later outcomes for boys.
  • Young boys’ vulnerabilities around self- and social-emotional regulation.
  • Toddler predictors of adolescent antisocial behavior.
  • Boys longitudinal outcomes in the context of family risk for alcoholism.
  • Development of boys in ethno-racial contexts.
  • Risk factors in Hispanic, African American, and American Indian/Alaska Native contexts.
  • Affective neuroscience and boys’ development.
  • Testosterone, boys’ psychology, and behavior

Invited Presenters

(For more detailed information, see the program page.)

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

Allan N. Schore, PhD
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
The Developmental Neurobiology and Psychology of Boys at Risk

Melissa Hines, PhD
Professor of Psychology
Director of the Hormones and Behaviour Research Lab
University of Cambridge
Testosterone and the Development of Human Gender-Related Behavior

LONGITUDINAL AND OTHER STUDIES OF BOYS EARLY DEVELOPMENT

Over the last two decades, researchers have followed the development of populations of very young children from prenatal and postnatal states to adolescence and adulthood. The conference will feature researchers’ findings about boys from longitudinal studies, which will permit consideration of how environmental and other experiences may influence the life of young males under certain circumstances.

Marjorie Beeghly, PhD
Associate Professor
Wayne State University
Department of Psychology (Developmental)
Sex Differences in Early Indicators of Developmental Vulnerability During Early Childhood: Risk, Resilience, and Relationships

Devi Miron
Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Training Director, Clinical Psychology
Tulane Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Tulane University
Stress and Psychopathology Following Severe Deprivation: Differential Effects on Boys and Girls

Leon Puttler, PhD
Assistant Research Scientist &
Project Director, Michigan Longitudinal Study
Department of Psychiatry
University of Michigan
Early Risk Factors in the Development of Alcohol and other Substance Use Problems

Daniel S. Shaw, PhD
Professor and Chair
Department of Psychology
Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences
University of Pittsburgh
Early Childhood Predictors of Boys’ Antisocial Behavior and Adjustment in Adolescence and Early Adulthood

FOCUS ON CULTURE—PLENARY SPEAKERS AND ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
To understand what is happening to small boys requires more than looking at the parent-boy dyad. It also means understanding the culture and historical context that development takes place within. The conference, Psychology of Boys at Risk: Indicators from 0-5, has invited 3 presenters with extensive research experience on this question of how to appreciate the cultural context of early childhood development with a focus on boys. In addition to their individual presentations, they will participate on a panel discussion on this subject.

Iheoma Iruka, PhD
Buffett Early Childhood Institute
University of Nebraska
Revisioning Early Childhood Education for Black Boys: Seizing Opportunities and Minimizing Risks

Natasha Cabrera, PhD
Professor of Human Development & Director, Family Involvement Laboratory
University of Maryland
The Early Experiences of Latino Boys: A Risk and Protective Approach

Michelle Sarche, PhD
Associate Professor
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Colorado School of Public Health
Department of Community and Behavioral Health, Centers for American Indian and Alaska Native Health
University of Colorado at Denver
American Indian and Alaska Native Boys: Risk and Resilience amidst Context and Culture

Call for Presentation Proposals

In addition to the invited presenters, the conference will provide opportunities for scholars, practitioners—including community-based—and policy makers to present in symposia, workshops, and poster sessions on subjects and research related to the theme of the conference.

If you are interested in presenting a symposium or workshop, click here for further information on submitting a proposal.