Research
My research focuses on violence against women and has both theoretical and practical aspects. On a theoretical level, I am interested in the impact of social reactions on survivors’ ability to speak about their experiences and seek help from others. In particular, I am interested in understanding the circumstances under which survivors receive negative reactions, how they decide whether to speak or remain silent, and the impact of disclosure and silence on survivors’ health and well-being. More recently, I have also become interested in the potential healing role of activism and volunteerism for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
On a practical level, I am interested in working with rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters to develop, implement, and evaluate programs to assist survivors of such violence. I am particularly interested in helping to develop and evaluate prevention and education programs geared toward reducing the occurrence of these crimes as well as programs aimed at reducing negative reactions toward those who have been victimized.
