Dr. Dorothy Espelage

Dr. Dorothy Espelage is an internationally acknowledged expert on bullying and holds the position of the William C. Friday Distinguished Professor of Education at UNC-Chapel Hill. Her unique perspective and extensive research have established her as a leading authority on bullying, including cyberbullying, bullying within dating relationships, and peer sexual harassment. She frequently shares her insights on platforms such as Oprah, The Today Show, GMA, and CNN, addressing the complexity of bullying and suggesting realistic solutions.

While delivering keynote speeches, Dr. Espelage discusses her empirical research into the endemic issue of bullying in contemporary schools. Over the past 17 years, she has interacted with hundreds of thousands of children, delving into the reasons behind their bullying behaviors, their experiences being bullied, and the passive bystander phenomenon. She also authored several books on the topic, such as "Bullying in North American Schools," "Bullying Prevention and Intervention: Realistic Strategies for Schools," and "Handbook of Bullying in Schools: an International Perspective."

Dr. Espelage's expertise has been invaluable in helping numerous schools across the country establish anti-bullying programs tailored to their needs. Her workshops assist faculty members in incorporating new bully-prevention techniques into their existing routines with minimal stress. In 2011, she was invited to the White House as part of the Bullying Summit, where she discussed policy decisions related to aggression in schools.

Besides her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University, Dr. Espelage holds a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology from Radford University and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Indiana University. She served in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Department of Educational Psychology and Child Development Division from 1997 to 2016 before joining the Department of Psychology at the University of Florida. Over the years, she has received several awards, including the Lifetime Achievement award from the American Psychological Association's Division 17 for Counseling Psychology. She is also a consultant at the national and international level for institutions like the US Embassy, US Congress & Senate, the American Psychological Association, and the National Anti-Bullying Campaign.