RESEARCH INTERESTS & EXPERIENCE

My practice-informed program of research aims to increase positive parenting and create safe homes where children can thrive following co-occurring intimate partner violence (IPV) and child maltreatment (CM). This work is grounded in a critical intersectional perspective, situating individuals and families within their broader ecological context, and emphasizing the value and strength of relationships and community for healing and promoting health and wellbeing.

Substantive Focus

I take a non-punitive, systems harm-reduction approach to intervening with multiple systems-involved families, producing research that is:

  1. Focused on identifying areas for improved response and collaboration within and across systems to mitigate harms and increase supports for families. 
  2. Aimed at developing alternative prevention and intervention approaches to addressing violence within families that prioritize family, community, and stakeholder defined needs and solutions. 

Within these two approaches are three focal areas: 

  • identifying and addressing causes of inequity in systems involvement and response
  • increasing competency and capacity within systems to address violence – including engaging those who cause harm
  • increasing access to parenting supports that foster multigenerational relational health

Research Interests

Family violence, intimate partner violence, parenting, child maltreatment, social determinants of health, health equity, intergenerational patterns, cross-systems analysis, institutional policy analysis, longitudinal quantitative methods, mixed methods. Advanced statistical analyses including latent class analysis, maximum-likelihood methods, time-series, simulation, multiple imputation. Proficiency across statistical packages including R, SPSS, MPlus. Experience with data visualization, longitudinal design and methods, qualitative and mixed methods, survey design, qualitative data analysis software, community-based and government stakeholder research collaborations, grant writing.

Publications & Presentations

Find me on google scholar

PEER REVIEWED ARTICLES 

Saba, S., Lee, J. O., Rousson, A. N., Hong, S. H., Herrenkohl, T. I. (in press). Associations between childhood sexual abuse and somatic symptoms at midlife: The role of depression and intimate partner relationship quality. Journal of Family Violence.

Hong, S., Yu, C., Rousson, A. N., Bender, A. E., Fedina, L., Herrenkohl, T. I. (in press). Examining the association between trauma characteristics and adult depression and anxiety: Analysis of types, variety, repetition, and timing of past trauma. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

Fedina, L., Hong., S., Rousson, A. N., Graham, L., Lee, J. O., & Herrenkohl, T. I. (in press). Proximal and distal risk factors of intimate partner violence perpetration. Journal of Family Violence.

Fedina, L., Moss, L., Rousson, A. N., Smith, M. E., Bright, C., Herrenkohl, T. I., & DeVylder, J. (in press). Effects of neighborhood disconnection on psychological distress and suicide risk associated with interpersonal violence within racial groups. Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma.

Bishop, A. S., Nurius, P. S., Fleming, C. M., Klein, R. T., Rousson, A. N. (in press). Youth gang membership, marginalized identities, and suicidality disparities: Intersectional implications for research and practice. Child and Adolescent Social Work.

Rousson, A. N., Tajima, E. A., Herrenkohl, T. I., & Casey, E. A. (2022). Patterns of intimate partner violence and the harsh parenting of children. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605221087242

Victor, B. G., Rousson, A. N., Henry, C., Dalvi, H. B., & Mariscal, E. S. (2021). Child protective services guidelines for substantiating exposure to domestic violence as maltreatment and assigning caregiver responsibility: Policy analysis and recommendations. Child Maltreatment 26(4), 452-463. https://doi.org/10.1177/10775595211002639

Orlando, L., Rousson, A. N., Barkan, S., Greenley, K., Everitt, A., & Tajima, E. A. (2021). Responding to Covid-19's impact on supervised family time: The Supportive Virtual Family Time Model. Developmental Child Welfare, 3(1), 3-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/25161032211001078

Bishop, A. S., Nurius, P. S., Logan-Greene, P., & Rousson, A. N. (2021). Micro-system supports, therapeutic progress, and court re-involvement: Implications for juvenile probation. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research. https://doi.org/10.1086/713479

Herrenkohl, T. I., Fedina, L., Roberto, K. A., Raquet, K. L., Hu, R. X., Rousson, A. N., & Mason, W. A. (2020). Child maltreatment, youth violence, intimate partner violence, and elder mistreatment: A review and theoretical analysis of research on violence across the life course. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 23(1), 314-328. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838020939119

Rousson, A. N., Fleming, C. B., Herrenkohl, T. I. (2020). Childhood maltreatment and later stressful life events as predictors of depression: A test of the stress sensitization hypothesis. Psychology of Violence., 10(5), 493-500. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000303

Herrenkohl, T. I., & Rousson, A. N. (2018). IPV and the Intergenerational Transmission of Violence. Family & Intimate Partner Violence Quarterly, 10(4), 39-46.

Jung, H., Herrenkohl, T. I., Skinner, M. L., Lee, J. O., Klika, J. B., & Rousson, A. N. (2018). Gender differences in intimate partner violence (IPV): A predictive analysis of IPV by child abuse and domestic violence exposure during early childhood. Violence Against Women, 25(8), 903-924. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801218796329

Jung, H., Herrenkohl, T. I., Skinner, M. L., & Rousson, A. N. (2018). Does educational success mitigate the effect of child maltreatment on later offending patterns? Journal of Interpersonal Violence., 36(3-4), 1833-1855. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260518756113

Larance, L. Y., & Rousson, A. N. (2016). Facilitating change: A process of renewal for women who have used force in their intimate heterosexual relationships. Violence Against Women, 22(7), 876-891. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077801215610890


INVITED PRESENTATIONS

Rousson, A. N. (2023, October). Choosing the right qualitative methods: Examining the flexibility of thematic analysis across three papers. Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center, University of Washington, Methods Series. 


ARTICLES UNDER REVIEW

Rousson, A. N., Merelas, S., Tajima, E. A., Orlando, L., Lund, J. J., Barkan, S. (under review). Child welfare parenting programs: Parent needs and program elements. Children and Youth Services Review.

Bishop, A. S., Nurius, P. S., Rousson, A. N., Bhattacharya, A., Baumgarten, E. B. (under review). Social determinants of contraception use among rural adolescents: Implications for addressing disparities. Journal of Rural Health.


PEER-REVIEWED CONFERENCE PUBLICATIONS

Rousson, A. N. (2024). A critical scoping review of custody determinations in the context of IPV: Institutional, relationship, and individual level factors influencing decision-making. Oral presentation at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Washington, D. C.

Rousson, A. N. (2024). Expanding our understanding of IPV victimization and mental health: A critical review and reflection toward solutions for diverse populations. Oral presentation at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Washington, D. C.

Rousson, A. N., Graham, L., Lee, J. O., Skarnes, C., Herrenkohl, T. I. (2023). Inequities in economic security: Possible enduring effects of adolescent dating violence. Oral presentation at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Phoenix, AZ.

Rousson, A. N., Tajima, E. A., Rodriguez-JenKins, J., Valdovinos, M., Holmes, M. (2023). Envisioning solutions and identifying a research agenda: Child-, Family-, and Community-Centered responses to prevent systems involvement when children are exposed to intimate partner violence. Roundtable discussion at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Phoenix, AZ.

Bishop, A. S., Nurius, P. S., Fleming, C. M., Klein, R. T., Rousson, A. N., (2023). Youth gang suicidality disparities: Intersectional implications for research and practice. Oral presentation at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Phoenix, AZ.

Evans, K., Appline, C., Connor, A., Rousson, A. N., Sullivan, M. (2022). Building connections and breaking isolation: Contemporary challenges of doctoral student women who are parenting. Roundtable discussion at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research (accepted and withdrawn due to COVID).

Victor, B. G., Rousson, A. N., Henry, C., Dalvi, H. B., Mariscal, E. S. (2022). Child welfare policies guiding the substantiation of childhood exposure to domestic violence as maltreatment: A national analysis and recommendations. Oral presentation for the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, (accepted and withdrawn due to COVID).

Hong, S., Yu, C., Rousson, A. N., Bender, A., Fedina, L., Herrenkohl, T. I. (2022). Exploring the impact of adversity across the lifespan on depression and anxiety in adulthood: Analysis of types, repetition, variety, and timing of past adversity. E-poster presentation at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research.

Graham, L., Rousson, A. N., Treves-Kagan, S., Herrenkohl, T. I., Fedina, L. (2021). Ending the cycle of violence: Advancing equity through public health social work interventions for effective policy responses. Roundtable discussion at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research (virtual conference).

Rousson, A. N., Herrenkohl, T. I. (2020). Profiles of intimate partner violence and harsh discipline: Understanding risk and co­occurrence, presented as part of the symposium: Violence in development and relational contexts: Studying processes of risk transmission to strengthen prevention and intervention efforts at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Washington, DC.

Bishop, A. S., Fentress, T., Rousson, A. N., Carey, C., Musumeci, L. (2019). A comprehensive portrait of service needs and programming options for gang-involved youth: A review of the literature to identify directions for research and practice. Poster session presented at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, San Francisco, CA.

Rousson, A. N., Fleming, C. B., Herrenkohl, T. I. (2019). Childhood maltreatment and later stressful life events as predictors of depression: A test of the stress sensitization hypothesis. Poster session presented at the annual conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, San Francisco, CA.

Research Experience

Primary Investigator and Project Lead Roles

Research Consultant, Washington Crime Victim Services Workgroup

Washington State Supreme Court Gender & Justice Commission, Washington Administrative Office of the Courts, Olympia, WA, 03/2024 - present

Co-I, Evaluation of Michigan's Toddler and Early Childhood Courts

Wayne State University School of Social Work, and the Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute - Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, 01/2024 - present

(PIs: Ann M. Stacks, and Bryan G. Victor) 

PI, Dissertation: "How they look at it is not how I lived it": How research, policy, and practice regarding family court child custody decision-making erase experiences of intimate partner violence

University of Washington School of Social Work, Seattle, WA, 12/2021 - 08/2023

Committee: Drs. Emiko Tajima, Erin Casey, Megan Moore

NIJ-OJP 2007-WG-BX-0013: Child Custody Evaluators' Beliefs About Domestic Abuse Allegations (PI: Daniel G. Saunders)

Research Consultant, Research & Information Sharing Workgroup on Protection Orders

Washington State Supreme Court Gender & Justice Commission, Washington Administrative Office of the Courts, Olympia, WA, 12/2021 -07/2022

Co-I and Project Director, Development of a Supervised Family Time Program for child welfare-involved families: A qualitative investigation of the founding principles of Strive

Partners for Our Children, University of Washington School of Social Work, Seattle, WA, 04/2019 - present

PI: Susan Barkan, PhD

Co-I, Policy Analysis of Child Protective Services Guidelines for Substantiating Exposure to Domestic Violence as Maltreatment

University of Indiana School of Social Work, Indianapolis, IN, 06/2020 - 02/2021

PI: Bryan G. Victor, PhD

PI, Qualifying Exam: Patterns of Intimate Partner Violence and the Harsh Parenting of Children

University of Washington School of Social Work, Seattle, WA, 03/2019 - 04/2020 

Committee: Drs. Emiko Tajima, Todd Herrenkohl, Erin Casey

NIDA R01DA032950/NICHD RO1HD049767 (PI: Todd I. Herrenkohl, PhD)

PI, Child maltreatment and later stressful life events as predictors of depression

University of Washington School of Social Work, Seattle, WA, 05/2018 - 06/2020

Co-Is: Charles Fleming, Todd Herrenkohl, PhD

NIDA R01DA032950/NICHD RO1HD049767 (PI: Todd I. Herrenkohl, PhD)

Co-I, Facilitating Change: A process of renewal for women who have used force

University of Michigan School of Social Work, Ann Arbor, MI, 05/2013 - 11/2015

PI: Lisa Y. Larance, PhD

Research Assistant Roles

Responding to COVID-19's impact on supervised family time

PI: Laura Orlando; Co-I's: Susan Barkan PhD, Emiko Tajima, PhD

Partners for Our Children, University of Washington School of Social Work, Seattle, WA, 04/2020 - 05/2021

Project Connect and Antioch College's Winning Victories for Humanity Award

Various projects with research team including responsibilities such as data management, analysis, project coordination, writing, and peer-mentoring of PhD students

University of Washington School of Social Work, Seattle, WA & University of Michigan School of Social Work, Ann Arbor, MI, 2018 - 2021

PI: Todd I. Herrenkohl, PhD

NIDA R01DA032950; NICHD R01HD049767; NICHD R21HD094961; NIA R01AG059823

Focusing on first-time fathers' strengths: Applying a positive psychology intervention to improve parenting and partnering

PI: Richard Tolman, PhD

University of Michigan School of Social Work, Curtis Center for Research, Ann Arbor, MI, 05/2013  - 08/2013

NIH 2UL1TR000433

Reforming child custody statutes regarding IPV

University of Michigan School of Social Work, Ann Arbor, MI, 09/2012 - 05/2013

PI: Daniel G. Saunders, PhD

Off Ramp Project

Police and court staff IPV training projects

University of Michigan School of Social Work, Ann Arbor, MI, 09/2012 - 05/2013

PI: Daniel G. Saunders, PhD

LGBTQ Access Project

King County Coalition Against Domestic Violence

University of Hawaii School of Social Work, Honolulu, HI, 07/2012  - 08/2012

PIs: Sid Peterson, Kalei Kanuha, PhD

National Clearinghouse on LGBTQ IPV

Northwest Network of Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian, & Gay Survivors of Abuse, Seattle, WA, 06/2012 - 08/2012

Supervisor: Kristin Tucker, MSW

Lifecourse Stress and Aggression Literature Review

University of Washington and University at Buffalo Schools of Social Work, 06/2012 - 08/2012

PIs: Paula Nurius, PhD, Patricia Logan-Greene, PhD