Michael Thompson, Ph.D.

2006 - 2007 Common Ground Speaker

ARE OUR SONS AT RISK?

What’s happening to our boys? A national alarm has been sounded about the widening achievement gap between girls and boys in American schools. Today, boys are two times more likely than girls to be diagnosed with learning disabilities. By high school, more girls are taking high level biology and chemistry classes than boys. And, for the first time in history, more American young women are enrolled in college than young men. Join us as Michael Thompson examines the extraordinary challenges boys face today and why so many of them are struggling. He’ll debunk preconceptions about masculinity, talk about the current “culture of cruelty,” and explain the importance of nurturing empathy and communication skills in boys. He’ll leave us all with concrete suggestions as to how we can improve the education and emotional well-being of our sons. Michael Thompson is a psychologist, author and consultant specializing in children and families. He has worked with more than two hundred independent schools across the U.S. and in other countries. His best-selling books include: Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Lives of Boys; Speaking of Boys: Answers to the Most-Asked Questions about Raising Sons and many others.