Jeffery Leving to Address NAACP Men's Resource Fair on 'Violence Prevention with Father Involvement'

CHICAGO, March 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Saturday, March 23^rd, well-known attorney Jeffery M. Leving of The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Ltd. will address the NAACP 100 Men & Boys Resource Fair on "Violence Prevention with Father Involvement." Jeffery Leving first became known for helping to reunite Elian Gonzalez with his father in Cuba and has devoted his legal practice to protecting fathers' rights. His address comes at a time when not only the city of Chicago but the entire nation is concerned with epidemic levels of youth violence.

Leving's work has made him intimately familiar with the profound impact fatherhood involvement can have on the behavior of young people. In the United States, growing up without a father has been shown to be the single greatest predictor of violent and criminal behavior. 72 percent of adolescents charged with murder grew up fatherless, and men who grow up without fathers are more than twice as likely to end up in prison. Ironically, engaged, responsible fatherhood not only saves children but saves fathers as well: fathers with criminal histories are dramatically less likely to commit repeat offenses after becoming involved in their children's lives.

Leving is the governor-appointed chair of the Illinois Council on Responsible Fatherhood (www.ResponsibleFatherhood.Illinois.gov), which initiates public awareness campaigns on the value of involved fathers. The Council promotes legislation that encourages positive fatherhood involvement. In addition, Leving founded the charity, The Fatherhood Educational Institute (www.fatherhood-edu.org), which promotes responsible fatherhood in impoverished communities, with support groups for single and divorced fathers, educational symposiums and workshops, and a program for incarcerated dads.

The NAACP will host its 100 Men & Boys Resource Fair at the ICE Roosevelt Theater at 3330 W. Roosevelt Road in Chicago from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The fair will include numerous panelists, vendors and workshops engaging attendees on the topics of job readiness, healthy living, energy efficiency jobs and training programs, and anti-violence measures. Local men and the next generation of men are invited to attend this useful event to get ideas and assistance for living better with greater rewards. 

Those who are interested in learning more about Jeffery Leving, the Illinois Council on Responsible Fatherhood, and The Fatherhood Educational Institute and its goal of reducing youth violence should contact Jennifer Whiteside at (312) 296-3666.

SOURCE The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving