Child's Right to a Healthy Environment

James Garbarino is the founding Director of the Center for the Human Rights of Children at Loyola University Chicago; the current Maude C. Clarke Chair in Humanistic Psychology. Before arriving at Loyola, he was Cornell University's Elizabeth Lee Vincent Professor of Human Development and co-director of the Family Life Development Center. He received his bachelor's degree from St. Lawrence University and a doctorate in human development and family studies from Cornell University. From 1985 - 1994 he was President of the Erikson Institute for Advanced Study in Child Development. Dr. Garbarino has served as a consultant to a wide range of organizations, including the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, the National Institute for Mental Health, the American Medical Association, the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He also serves as an expert witness in criminal and civil cases involving issues of violence and children. Books he has authored or edited include: Children and the Dark Side of Human Experience: A Spiritual Memoir, See Jane Hit: Why Girls Are Growing More Violent and What We Can Do About It, and Words Can Hurt Forever: How to Protect Adolescents from Bullying, Harassment, and Emotional Violenc. His work has also been featured in television, magazines, and newspapers, including appearances on "The Today Show," "Dateline," and "Larry King Live." Dr. Garbarino has received numerous awards, including the first C. Henry Kempe Award from the National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, Fellow of the American Psychological Association, Spencer Fellow by the National Academy of Education, National Fellow by the Kellogg Foundation, and the President's Celebrating Success Award from the National Association of School Psychologists. He is a former president of the American Psychological Association's Division on Child, Youth and Family Services. Garry Sigman, M.D., is an Associate Professor at the Loyola Stritch School of Medicine. He is the Director of Adolescent Medicine at the Loyola University Medical Center and serves as Vice-Chairman for Administration, in the Department of Pediatrics. He trained in General Academic Pediatrics at the University of Rochester, and was a Scholar-in-Residence at the Lutheran General Hospital's Center for Clinical Ethics. He is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Task Force on Mental Health. He has served as Chairman of the Illinois Chapter of the AAP's Committee on Adolescence. He is a founding member of the Academy for Eating Disorders. He served as member and chairman of the American Academy of Pediatric's Institutional Review Board. He has served on many committees locally and nationally related to the prevention and treatment of adolescent health problems. He lectures widely in behavioral medicine, clinical ethics and adolescent medicine and has a series of publications that relate to those disciplines.

From the reviews: "In 2008, Loyola University's Center for the Rights of Children hosted a symposium on the rights of children with a focus on environmental health. ... The book brings together advocacy and academic content from the symposium topics contributed by experts in the field. ... This collection of symposium presentations ... to be more applicable to those in academia than to those in practice; however, all adults must carry the moral weight of respecting the worth and dignity of the rights of children." (Mardi Allen, PsycCRITIQUES, Vol. 56 (8), February, 2011)

• Perspectives on Healthy Environments for Children.- “To Such as These, the Kingdom of Heaven Belongs”: Religious Faith as a Foundation for Children’s Rights.- Preventing Childhood Malaria: Strategies That Work Today and Directions for the Future.- A Case Study of a Partnership in Chicago to Prevent Childhood Lead Poisoning.- Why Is Protecting the Human Rights of Children so Difficult?.- Spare the Rod: Why Are More American Children Victims and Perpetrators of Violence Than Those of Any Other Developed Country?.- Promoting a Protective Environment for Children Affected by Disaster and War.- When Rights and Needs Collide.- Human Rights as a Tool for Social Change.- The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: An Instrument for Creating a Healthy Environment for the Child.- The Right to a Family Environment for Children of Prisoners.- A Child’s Right to an Environment That Prevents Obesity: Ethical Considerations.- Anchoring and Empowering Children: A Child’s Right to Participation Within a Healthy Environment.- Cultural and Social Impediments to a Healthy Environment for Children.- Child Slavery and the Global Economy: Historical Perspectives on a Contemporary Problem.- In Harm’s Way in America: The Burden of Gun Violence.- The Right to a Healthy Social Environment: Protecting Children from Social Toxicity.