The Security and Social Development Lab is looking for undergraduate research assistants for the Summer of 2019!
Peer Victimization & Bullying: What Can Parents Do?
Being the victim of bullying can be a difficult and even traumatic experience for youth, and victimization is a risk factor for a range of mental health problems including depression, anxiety, conduct problems, substance abuse, and even suicide. Although bullying is increasingly recognized by the public as an important issue, many parents don’t feel like they know what to do if they find out their child is being bullied. There is plenty of advice out there, including from respectable sources such as the CDC, yet very little research has examined the efficacy of particular parental response strategies (e.g., telling your child to fight back, providing emotion support, or intervening directly by calling the school or the parents of the perpetrator) in protecting youth from the consequences of victimization. We know even less about what strategies work best for different teens or in different types of situations. What if mom and dad give different advice? How do parents decide what to do? Do parents draw on their own experiences of victimization when deciding how to support their teen? When and how do families talk about these issues? These are just some of the questions that will be explored using a combination of observational tasks, interviews, and physiological assessments of stress reactivity and regulation.
Dr. Martin is looking for undergraduate students who are interested in becoming RAs on this project. RAs will be trained and participate in recruitment, data collection, and interviewing, and will be working directly with teens and families to complete this study. This is an excellent opportunity for undergraduates considering graduate school in developmental or clinical psychology, or a related field. There are currently positions available to participate in this research during the Summer of 2019.
Dr. Martin is also looking for students interested in applying for a Summer UCare fellowship.
If you are interested in becoming a research assistant, download the application form and email it to Dr. Martin or contact her directly at: meredith.martin@unl.edu