International Family and Community Studies

~ August Orientation ~

Natasha Sianko, PhD

Clemson UniversityAugust 2014

pre-IFNL Brief background

IFNL, then and now

Moved to the US to start IFCS in 2007

The happiest summer 2012

Professional & Teaching Experience Research Assistant Professor, Institute on Family &

Neighborhood Life, Clemson University (2012 - present) Washington Policy Fellow, American Orthopsychiatric

Association (2010-2011)

Courses taught and co-taught FCS 813 (Research Methods I & II) FCS 840 (Topics in Societal and International Research) PO SC 305 (Democracy building in post-conflict societies,

“creative inquiry”) PSYCH 498 (The Global Community, “creative inquiry”) Foreign language and culture courses

More background . . .

• Violence prevention • Community development and democracy

promotion • Social justice and human rights • Children’s right to participation • Indicator development for social research and

policy

Research interests

Teen dating violence Introduction

PI: Dr. Jim McDonell

Teen Dating Violence (TDV) Research site

TDV Study design

Community context

Teachers & service

providers

caregivers

589 teens

X 4 years = 4 waves

What we know Selected findings from Wave I

Dating violence experience

Selected findings from Wave I

Predictors of DV perpetrationPredictors of DV victimization

Risk factors Involvement in violent relationships

What we don’t know

E.g., exposure to family violence, depression, substance abuse,

caregiver’s experience of DV, parenting style, DV perpetration/ victimization

Risk factors Involvement in violent relationships:

(a) victim(b) perpetrator

Moderators of TDV

Parenting style

Witnessing family violence Involvement in

violent relationships: (a) victim

Moderators of TDV

Parenting style

Nurturing parenting - a buffer of dating violence victimization among teens

Witnessing family violenceTeen

dati

ng v

iole

nce

victi

miz

ation

Nurturing parenting - a buffer of dating violence perpetration among teens

Teen

dati

ng v

iole

nce

victi

miz

ation

Witnessing family violence

What is next

Developmental factorsDevelopmental and gender differences in the way risk and protective factors play out in TDV victimization and perpetration

Community influencesCommunity characteristics that put teens at risk for becoming involved in violent dating relationships Community beliefs about dating violence and rates of child maltreatment/ # of teens who experienced violence in a dating relationship

What is next

Latent growth curve modelingIdentify multilevel factors that define developmental trajectory of adolescent dating violence

Individual ->

Family ->

Community ->

What is next

TDV & technology

Thank you!!!