Jessica Bondy, Founder of Words Matter will be giving a keynote at The British Psychological Society (BPS) Division of Educational and Child Psychology (DECP) annual conference this year.
Taking place from 11-12 January at the Brighton Metropole Hotel, the conference will explore the role of educational psychology in promoting social justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
The conference will bring together leading keynote speakers, young people, and academics, alongside workshops and practical examples of ways in which educational psychologists can promote social justice through their work.
Joining Jessica as a keynote speaker will be Lisa Cameron, Chair of the Psychology All Party Parliamentary Group; Gabriel Atfield, Warwick University, author of the recent Department of Education Educational Psychology Workforce research report and Nana Owusu, Clinical Lead, Mind – Hammersmith & Fulham and young people who work with Mind.
Jessica, founder of Words Matter, says:
“Verbal abuse of children by adults can cause lifelong harm, impacting a child’s mental and physical health and development. Shockingly, 2 in 5 (41%)1 children experience adults regularly using hurtful and upsetting words to blame, insult or criticise. Parents, carers, teachers, friends’ parents, and activity leaders are the primary sources. It is vital that it is brought into the open, properly acknowledged and addressed and I am honoured to be invited to talk to so many experts and practitioners about our work and mission to end it.
“We all have a responsibility to help children flourish and protect them from abuse. Change is possible if we all work together to find lasting solutions that support children and all the adults around them. Let’s build children up, not knock them down. Respect a child and they respect themselves and others.”
ENDS
For further information contact hello@wordsmatter.org
To book a place visit www.bps.org.uk
1 The quantitative research among children and parents was undertaken by Family, Kids & Youth (FK&Y), between 1 June and 20 June 2023. The research went through safeguarding procedures and was approved by an ethics committee. 1,166 responses were received to the children’s survey (children aged 11–17 years).