Part of online series Emotional Smarts: Conversations on Parenting

In the fourth of our series, Emotional Smarts: Conversations on Parenting, two experts share their secrets for banishing bullying: helping parents know how to protect their kids whether in school or online.

We’ve all heard the stories on the media and sometimes over the kitchen table. But what’s a parent supposed to do about this “national epidemic” that strikes so close to home?

In honor of National Bullying Prevention Month, GreatSchools and Social Moms have invited two of the country’s most informed experts to help parents understand what they can really do to prevent (and stop) bullying in their own child’s life.

Join Emily Bazelon, author of Sticks and Stones, and Maurice Elias, author of Emotionally Intelligent Parenting, in conversation with GreatSchools Executive Editor Carol Lloyd to explore the myths, tips, and best practices around bullying that every parent should know.

Join us on Wednesday, October 29 — and jump in with your questions — for a discussion on how to bullyproof your child.

Join us! Who, when, where details…

Featuring

Emily Bazelon, author of Sticks and Stones

Maurice Elias, author of Emotionally Intelligent Parenting

Moderated by Carol Lloyd, Executive Editor at GreatSchools

Wednesday, October 29, 11:00-11:30 AM PST (2:00-2:30 pm EST)

RSVP to: http://bit.ly/BESRSVP

Join our #emotionalsmarts live chat on Twitter.

How does our Google+ Hangout work?

Just sign up via http://bit.ly/BESRSVP and add your questions, then log on at 11 am PST Wednesday, October 29th to participate. In this unique forum, you’re invited to join the video conversation by contributing advance and real-time questions and comments via the Google+ Hangout page or via Twitter using the hashtag #emotionalsmarts. If you can’t make the live event, no problem, you can watch it later on GreatSchools or SocialMoms.

About our Emotional Smarts series

GreatSchools, SocialMoms, and social emotional learning consultant Jessica Berlinski created the Emotional Smarts series of Google+ Hangouts to bring together some of the most insightful voices in parenting, education, and other fields to talk about developing emotional intelligence in our kids — and ourselves. Our past hangouts have included a chat about dealing with anger in the family with America’s Supernanny Deborah Tillman and Marc Brackett from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, a discussion of the benefits of letting kids fail with former NBA star Adonal Foyle and NBC parenting expert Michele Borba, and inspirational ideas for a happy school year with family happiness gurus and authors Christine Carter and Bruce Feiler. For each hangout, we pair experts with divergent views to explore a common parenting theme and offer practical wisdom and tactical advice.

About the participants:

Emily Bazelon is a staff writer at the New York Times Magazine, the Truman Capote Fellow for Creative Writing and Law at Yale Law School, and a former senior editor at Slate. Her groundbreaking investigative journalism (and knack for storytelling), coupled with her extensive legal knowledge, make her one of the leading authorities on the shifting landscape of bullying in the cyber age: What constitutes bullying? What can parents, teachers, and educators do about it? What role can personality traits — such as grit, character, and empathy — play in overcoming childhood trauma and finding social success? Her 2010 Slate coverage of the suicide of Phoebe Prince, a Massachusetts high school student whose suicide was linked to bullying, was a finalist for the 2011 Online Journalism Award from the Gannett Foundation and the 2011 Michael Kelley Award for “the fearless pursuit and expression of truth.” She has spoken to audiences from the Aspen Ideas Festival to the Texas Bar Association to TEDxWomen. She is a frequent guest on The Colbert Report. She has also appeared on Today, PBS Newshour, Morning Joe, Fresh Air, and All Things Considered. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, O: The Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, and Mother Jones. Her book, Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy, has won widespread acclaim since its release in 2013 and was featured on the cover of the New York Times Book Review.

Maurice Elias, Ph.D., has been with the psychology department at Rutgers for more than 25 years in many capacities. His research focuses primarily on clinical, school, and community psychology, particularly in the area of children, adolescents, and families; design and evaluation of preventive interventions; social, cognitive, and behavioral competence; and emotional intelligence. Dr. Elias’ multiple distinguished roles include director of the Rutgers Social and Emotional Learning Laboratory and director of Rutgers Civic Engagement and Service Education Partnerships Program. Dr. Elias has co-authored several books. His latest books include Emotionally Intelligent Parenting: How to Raise a Self-Disciplined, Responsible, Socially Skilled Child; Community psychology: Linking individuals and communities; Bullying, victimization, and peer harassment: A handbook of prevention and intervention; Urban dreams: Stories of hope, resilience, and character.

Carol Lloyd, Executive Editor at GreatSchools, is an award-winning writer and editor whose work on education and family life has been published in New York Times Magazine, Salon, EdWeek, and other national outlets, as well as being featured on NPR’s Talk of the Nation, KQED’s Forum, and NBC’s Class Action.

GreatSchools is a digital media nonprofit that helps millions of parents get a great education for their children, support their children’s learning, and find great schools. Every year, GreatSchools reaches more than half of all American families with school-age children, providing school information, educational activities, articles, and videos.

SocialMoms is a digital media company with one of the world’s largest networks of women influencers — comprised of more than 45,000 bloggers, sites, and social media personalities with a combined social reach of more than 200 million. Founded in 2008 by Megan Calhoun, the company creates high-impact, custom media campaigns that shape perceptions and drive action.

Jessica Berlinski serves as Chief Impact Officer of Adaptive Health Systems (AHS), a new double bottom line company focused on scaling Dept. of Education and National Institute of Health funded evidence-based social emotional learning (SEL) games to K-12 schools nationally. As co-founder of If You Can, she supported Electronic Arts’ founder in launching the first consumer video game designed to build emotional intelligence. Berlinski speaks on scaling SEL through technology at education and social change conferences nationally and her work on SEL has been featured on NPR and in Forbes. She has a decade of experience leading organizations dedicated to supporting the “whole child” through academics and SEL.