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VCU Department of Psychology

Research projects

• Healthy Communities for Youth
• Middle School Bullying Prevention Program
• Rigorous Evaluation of Prevention Strategies to Prevent and Reduce Community Rates of Youth Violence

Team members

• Carine Leslie
• Colleen Walsh
• Kiara Brown
• Kimberly Lazarus
• Emma Fontaine

About

My research program focuses on understanding the impact of aggression and exposure to violence on children's healthy psychosocial and emotional development. This research includes examination of the relations between aggression and exposure to violence (including witnessing violence and victimization) and psychosocial maladjustment, and identifying risk and protective factors that may magnify or buffer these relations. A key goal within this area is to address the distinct constructs of relational and physical aggression and victimization in the context of peer and dating relations. Another aspect of my research focuses on the evaluation of school-based violence prevention efforts, especially for students with high incidence disabilities.