EUGENE–Hill Walker, renowned University of Oregon expert on youth behavior, school safety and violence prevention, will discuss preventing youth violence and delinquency in a free public lecture at 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, April 6, in the Crystal Ballroom of the Benson Hotel, 309 S.W. Broadway, Portland.

Walker’s lecture, "Preventing School Failure, Dropout and Delinquency," is sponsored by the Oregon Humanities Center at the University of Oregon. It will be preceded by a reception at 5 p.m. in the hotel’s Fireplace Lobby.

"It costs $50,000 a year to keep a juvenile offender behind bars…. Compare that to the $3,000 annual cost per child … in proven preventive programs," says Walker, co-director of the university’s Institute on Violence and Destructive Behavior.

In his April 6 talk, Walker will identify the factors that account for school failure, dropout and delinquency. He will discuss the roles of families, caregivers, schools, community agencies and governing bodies in preventing these outcomes. In addition, Walker will emphasize the importance of addressing these risks early in a child’s life, and the urgency of finding ways to more effectively invest in our children before their problems become insurmountable.

In April of 1999, Walker was an invited presenter on school safety at a joint meeting of the National Institutes of Justice and Mental Health and the U.S. Department of Education. He has served on countless panels on delinquency prevention.

Walker has written extensively on school safety and violence and is the author of many books including, with Geoff Colvin and Elizabeth Ramsey, "Antisocial Behavior in School: Strategies and Best Practices" (Brooks Publishing, 1995) and, with J.R. Sprague, "A Resource Guide for Creating Safe, Effective and Violence-Free Schools" (Sopris West, forthcoming).

Seating for the lecture is limited, so early arrival is recommended.

For more information, browse http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~humanctr or call the Oregon Humanities Center, (541) 346-3934.

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