Outreach:
Parenting education, sexuality education, adolescent development, childhood injury prevention, gerontology.

Interests:
Georgia's youth and families have many strengths, but also suffer from inadequate information and skills to create the best possible environments for themselves. Research in Child and Family Development and associated fields provides insight into helping families minimize risk factors and builds protective factors in communities, schools, families, and the individuals who comprise them. Needs assessments conducted by Extension Service faculty have identified parenting education and positive youth development as two major educational needs of Georgia families, so Dr. Bower targets many aspects of these needs in his programming. In addition, research points to adolescent risk-taking behavior as a vital point for intervention. Sexual behavior among adolescents, in particular, creates long-lasting burdens for many families. Extension programming that equips families to share information and their values about sexual responsibility with their children is another interest. Dr. Bower has been awarded more than $12 million in grant funding to support his programming, in areas ranging from childhood injury prevention to family policy and at-risk youth. He was named the 2003 University of Georgia Walter B. Hill Distinguished Achievement Fellow in Public Service and Outreach. In 2004, he was named a Fellow of the National Council on Family Relations. He served as 2005-2006 president of the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences. In 2008, he delivered the Annie E. Casey Foundation Family Strengthening Distinguished Lecture. He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service in 2008.

Education:

Selected Publications/Presentations:

DeBord, K., Bower, D., Goddard, W., Wilkins, J., Kobbe, A., Myers-Walls, J., Mulroy, M. & Ozretich, R. (2006). “A professional guide for parenting educators: The National Extension Parenting Educators’ Framework.” Journal of Extension, 44 (3). Available at http://www.joe.org/joe/2006june/a8.shtml

Bower, D. (September 2001) "After the Disaster: Phases of Community Adjustment." (CHFD-E 10-2), Cooperative Extension Service, The University of Georgia, Athens.

Bower, D. (1999). "What works: Research on effective programming in adolescent sexuality, pregnancy and parenting." National Extension Network for Health, Bridge for Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting and Sexuality. Available at http://www.nnh.org/products/whatworks2.htm

Bower, D. & Pace-Nichols, M. A. (1996). Principles of Parenting. (Extension publication series Leaflet 436-1 through 436-14). Athens: University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service.

Bower, D. (1994). Pedophiles as Youthworkers. International Youth Developers Institute. Cuernavaca, Mexico.