Rebecca Fix
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Mental Health, Faculty Member
- Auburn University, Psychology, Graduate Studentadd
- noneedit
- For a more complete overview of my research, please visit my my Research Gate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/p... moreFor a more complete overview of my research, please visit my my Research Gate profile: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Rebecca_Fix
or my personal website: http://rebeccafix.wix.com/page
I do research work focused on promoting ethnoracial and gender equity in the legal system and child welfare system and on tertiary violence prevention.edit
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The current study examined the prevalence and mental health associated with physical and sexual dating violence among adolescents using an intersectional analysis. Data were obtained from 88,219 adolescents in the Youth Risk Behavior... more
The current study examined the prevalence and mental health associated with physical and sexual dating violence among adolescents using an intersectional analysis. Data were obtained from 88,219 adolescents in the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey. Gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and experiences with teen dating violence were measured for each youth. Tested two- and three-way interactions demonstrate varied outcomes by social identification and emphasize the need for an intersectional approach in dating violence research. Adolescent dating violence was most prevalent among girls (10% physical, 13% sexual); adolescents were racially identified as Native North American (13% physical, 10% sexual), Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (12% physical, 14% sexual), or multiracial (11% physical, 12% sexual), and lesbian, gay, bisexual, or questioning their sexual orientation (LGBQ) adolescents (19% physical, 20% sexual). The intersectional groups with the highest rates of physical and sexual dating violence included Latinx GBQ boys (26% physical, 26% sexual) and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander GBQ boys (29% physical, 32% sexual). Among girls, highest rates were observed among Hawaiian/Pacific Islander LBQ (24% physical, 23% sexual). Externalizing symptoms associated with physical dating violence were most robust for risky sexual behavior (OR = 4.0), followed by physical fighting (OR = 3.0), and weapon carrying (OR = 2.5); they were also associated with sexual dating violence (ORs = 1.9-2.2). Internalizing symptoms were comparably associated with both types of dating violence (ORs = 2.6-2.9 physical and ORs = 2.4-2.8 sexual). Findings suggest first that an intersectional approach is especially informative in teen dating violence prevention and intervention and second that teen dating violence interventions and prevention programming should use a trauma-informed, gender-responsive, culturally sensitive, and LGBQ inclusive approach.
Research Interests:
Caregivers of adolescent daughters with juvenile legal system involvement face unique stressors that have been largely overlooked in research and practice. The current study recruited 183 Black and Native North American/Indigenous... more
Caregivers of adolescent daughters with juvenile legal system involvement face unique stressors that have been largely overlooked in research and practice. The current study recruited 183 Black and Native North American/Indigenous caregivers with daughters involved in the juvenile legal system via a Qualtrics survey distributed using MTurk with careful screening practices. Results indicated high levels of stress and worry related to daughter’s juvenile legal system involvement. Female caregivers used prayer, talking with friends, going to therapy, and exercise significantly more than male caregivers as coping strategies. Problems associated with daughter’s juvenile legal system involvement and worry about daughter’s juvenile legal system involvement significantly impacted use of most coping strategies. Finally, nearly all caregivers were interested in trying new activities to strengthen their relationship with their daughter and in strategies to improve their own mental health. Potential intervention components highlighted by caregivers indicate future directions for family-focused programming targeting families with juvenile legal system involvement.
Research Interests: Sociology, Psychology, Demography, Mental Health, Worry, and 3 moreJuvenile, Family Issues, and Daughter
Youth−police encounters reflect a pivotal point for intervention to improve police−community relations. Data from 454 youths (M = 15.1 years) included brief written descriptions of positive and negative experiences with a police officer... more
Youth−police encounters reflect a pivotal point for intervention to improve police−community relations. Data from 454 youths (M = 15.1 years) included brief written descriptions of positive and negative experiences with a police officer and perceptions of police using Likert‐scale items. Participating youths described both positive (46%) and negative (60%) experiences with police. Besides decidedly positive experiences, youths also responded to the positive experiences prompt with ambiguous situations (46%) that involved the arrest of the youth or their family (procedural or distributive justice). Examples of ambiguous self‐described positive experiences included, “Restraining order,” “My dad went to prison,” and “When I was arrested in location redacted, the officer was kind and didn't put me in cuffs.” Results from regressions indicated youths’ perceptions of police were more often associated with the absence of positive experiences than specific positive or negative experiences. Study findings have implications for police trainings and future research on youth−police encounters.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
As COVID-19 sweeps across the country, individuals within the carceral system face an increased risk of contracting the virus, and as a result, heightened risk for mental health symptoms. We discuss how COVID-19 appears to be exacerbating... more
As COVID-19 sweeps across the country, individuals within the carceral system face an increased risk of contracting the virus, and as a result, heightened risk for mental health symptoms. We discuss how COVID-19 appears to be exacerbating mental health inequities for children within the carceral system and the need to respond accordingly. Children within the carceral system represent a particularly vulnerable population, and the majority of detained or confined youth identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). As juvenile detention centers in multiple states report cases of COVID-19, children who are confined are experiencing higher rates of illness and fear of illness. It is crucial to consider how the mental health of children who are confined will be disproportionately affected compared with the general population. We provide recommendations to revise practices to improve and reduce mental health outcomes among confined children.
Research Interests:
Abstract Objectives The current study was the first preliminary examination of physical and mental health outcomes for late adolescents impacted by police killing members of the Black community. Study design Cross-sectional online survey... more
Abstract Objectives The current study was the first preliminary examination of physical and mental health outcomes for late adolescents impacted by police killing members of the Black community. Study design Cross-sectional online survey research. Methods 429 college students completed surveys in September 2020. Physical and mental health specific to police killing members of the Black community and general physical and mental health were measured. Black Lives Matter activism, safety concerns due to police brutality, negative police experiences, and anti-racist behavior were also quantified. Results More variance was explained by Black Lives Matter activism factors for models examining physical and mental health specific to the recent killings of Black citizens by police compared with models examining general physical and mental health. Conclusions Prevention efforts in healthcare and educational contexts should include screenings and education for those involved in Black Lives Matter activism or who have negative experiences (or worries about such experiences) with police.
Research Interests:
Racism is a critical social problem, and we present a framework to guide professionals in engaging in anti-racist practices. Professionals on the frontlines in psychology and related fields such as social work and public health have a... more
Racism is a critical social problem, and we present a framework to guide professionals in engaging in anti-racist practices. Professionals on the frontlines in psychology and related fields such as social work and public health have a responsibility to engage in anti-racist practices. Part of the professional role must be to advocate for justice through increased proximity to the issues and engagement in anti-oppressive practices. The current discourse introduces a framework through which people working in psychology and other related professions can promote anti-racism work, highlighting the legal system for illustrative purposes. While some professionals in psychology may not have direct experience with the legal system, many of the individuals served by psychologists do (e.g., clients/patients, students, community members). Our framework is represented by the acronym STYLE (Self-examination, Talk about racism, Yield time to anti-racism work, Learn about structural racism, Evaluat...
Research Interests:
Caregivers of adolescent daughters with juvenile legal system involvement face unique stressors that have been largely overlooked in research and practice. The current study recruited 183 Black and Native North American/Indigenous... more
Caregivers of adolescent daughters with juvenile legal system involvement face unique stressors that have been largely overlooked in research and practice. The current study recruited 183 Black and Native North American/Indigenous caregivers with daughters involved in the juvenile legal system via a Qualtrics survey distributed using MTurk with careful screening practices. Results indicated high levels of stress and worry related to daughter’s juvenile legal system involvement. Female caregivers used prayer, talking with friends, going to therapy, and exercise significantly more than male caregivers as coping strategies. Problems associated with daughter’s juvenile legal system involvement and worry about daughter’s juvenile legal system involvement significantly impacted use of most coping strategies. Finally, nearly all caregivers were interested in trying new activities to strengthen their relationship with their daughter and in strategies to improve their own mental health. Pote...
Research Interests: Sociology, Psychology, Demography, Mental Health, Worry, and 3 moreJuvenile, Family Issues, and Daughter
Social determinants of health influence who ends up in the juvenile legal system and how individuals fare when entering and leaving the system. The present study utilized latent profile analysis to determine the extent to which social... more
Social determinants of health influence who ends up in the juvenile legal system and how individuals fare when entering and leaving the system. The present study utilized latent profile analysis to determine the extent to which social determinants of health were present in a sample of incarcerated youth and the patterns in which they appear. The authors then examined their relationships to racial groups, depression, substance misuse, and recidivism risk. Data were from 1288 adolescent boys sentenced to a juvenile prison in one Southeastern state for serious offending (i.e., repeat offenses, offenses involving physical or sexual violence). We ran a latent class analysis to test for patterns with which youth present with various social determinants of health. Profiles with more violence exposure and higher social support were comprised of more Black boys than the referent profile. Property and sexual offenses also differed significantly from the referent profile. Altogether, results f...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
There are racial and ethnic disparities in use of out-of-school suspensions within the United States. The present study assessed for the presence of disproportionate suspension by race, special edu...
Research Interests:
Among the most powerful antecedents to delinquency and violence are the family of origin and the community context in which the adolescent lives. Additionally, it is recognized that family and community factors may mutually and... more
Among the most powerful antecedents to delinquency and violence are the family of origin and the community context in which the adolescent lives. Additionally, it is recognized that family and community factors may mutually and interactively influence delinquency. Fourteen studies were reviewed to examine the relationship between family and community factors on delinquency or violence among male African American adolescents. Nine studies examined delinquency, three studies examined violence, and two studies had both delinquency and violence as outcome variables. Findings affirmed the importance of concurrently examining community and family factors when investigating delinquency or violence. Two overarching patterns between family and community factors on delinquency and violence were observed across studies. Protective family factors appeared to buffer against the negative impact of influential community factors, while protective community factors appeared to reduce delinquency or ...
Research Interests:
Emetophobia is an understudied specific phobia, especially during the developmental stage of adolescence. Adult and child literatures suggest that a combined approach of psychopharmacological and cognitive-behavioral interventions may be... more
Emetophobia is an understudied specific phobia, especially during the developmental stage of adolescence. Adult and child literatures suggest that a combined approach of psychopharmacological and cognitive-behavioral interventions may be an efficacious treatment for emetophobia. Despite evidence supporting the success of this therapeutic approach, research assessing treatment outcomes of adolescent populations with the disorder remains limited. The current study presents a case study of the successful use of combined treatment for emetophobia in an adolescent female. Therapy included psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, and exposure therapy in tandem with Sertraline 50 mg. Upon termination of therapeutic services, symptoms of emetophobia were significantly reduced, panic attacks had remitted, and the continued use of psychotropic medication was no longer indicated. Findings in the present case study suggest that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) including exposure-based therap...
Research Interests:
The present study tested whether differences in violence exposure and parent and peer attachment help explain why disproportionate minority contact is lower among adolescents adjudicated for sexual offending than among adolescents... more
The present study tested whether differences in violence exposure and parent and peer attachment help explain why disproportionate minority contact is lower among adolescents adjudicated for sexual offending than among adolescents adjudicated for other offenses. The 1,109 male juvenile offenders recruited from a juvenile detention center were interviewed, completed self-report measures, and legal documentation of prior offenses was obtained. Using a hierarchical multinomial logistic regression, a unique constellation of factors were found to predict sexual and violent offending relative to general offending. Moreover, the influence of race/ethnicity was diminished in the final model, suggesting disproportionate minority contact is partially explained by contextual factors.
Research Interests:
Most studies on the mental health consequences of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) focus predominantly on CSA survivors who do not commit sexual offenses. The current study examined the effects of CSA on 498 male adolescents adjudicated for... more
Most studies on the mental health consequences of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) focus predominantly on CSA survivors who do not commit sexual offenses. The current study examined the effects of CSA on 498 male adolescents adjudicated for sexual offenses who represent the small portion of CSA survivors who engage in sexual offenses. The prevalence of internalizing symptoms, parental attachment difficulties, specific sexual offending behaviors, and risk for sexually offending were compared among participants with and without a history of CSA. Results indicated that participants with a history of CSA were more likely to be diagnosed with major depression and posttraumatic stress disorder than those who did not report a history of CSA. A history of CSA was also positively correlated with risk for sexually offending and with specific offense patterns and consensual sexual behaviors. No significant differences emerged on parental attachment difficulties. These results highlight that adoles...
Research Interests:
The overrepresentation of racial/ethnic minorities within the criminal justice system relative to their population percentage, a phenomenon termed disproportionate minority contact, has been examined within general adult and adolescent... more
The overrepresentation of racial/ethnic minorities within the criminal justice system relative to their population percentage, a phenomenon termed disproportionate minority contact, has been examined within general adult and adolescent offender populations; yet few studies have tested whether this phenomenon extends to juvenile sexual offenders (JSOs). In addition, few studies have examined whether offender race/ethnicity influences registration and notification requirements, which JSOs are subject to in some U.S. states. The present study assessed for disproportionate minority contact among general delinquent offenders and JSOs, meaning it aimed to test whether the criminal justice system treats those accused of sexual and non-sexual offenses differently by racial/ethnic group. Furthermore, racial/ethnic group differences in risk, legal classification, and sexual offending were examined for JSOs. Results indicated disproportionate minority contact was present among juveniles with n...
Research Interests:
Although executive dysfunctions are commonly hypothesized to contribute to sexual deviance or aggression, evidence of this relationship is scarce and its specificity is unproven, especially among adolescents. The objective of this study... more
Although executive dysfunctions are commonly hypothesized to contribute to sexual deviance or aggression, evidence of this relationship is scarce and its specificity is unproven, especially among adolescents. The objective of this study was to compare the executive functioning (EF) of adolescents with sexual offense convictions (ASOC) to that of non-sex-delinquents (NSD). A secondary goal was to assess the relationship among specific sexual offense characteristics (i.e., victim age), history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA), and EF. It was hypothesized that as a group, ASOC would present similar EF profiles as NSD. It was further hypothesized that ASOC with child victims would present significantly higher rates of CSA and more severe impairment of EF than ASOC with peer-aged or older victims and NSD. A total of 183 male adolescents (127 ASOC and 56 NSD) were interviewed to collect demographic information, sexual development history, history of CSA, an assessment of living conditions,...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Racial disparities in the U.S. juvenile justice system appear to be attenuated for people with sexual and violent versus drug and property offenses. Existing theories such as the racial threat hypothesis partially explain these racial... more
Racial disparities in the U.S. juvenile justice system appear to be attenuated for people with sexual and violent versus drug and property offenses. Existing theories such as the racial threat hypothesis partially explain these racial disparities, but the definition of “threat” could limit our ability to explain juvenile justice outcomes across offense categories. Importantly, research often overlooks the different and unique threats associated with violent and sexual crimes. The present study examined impacts of racial threat and an expanded definition of “threat” associated with violent and sexual crime on (a) preadjudication detention and (b) dispositions of postadjudication confinement. Statewide archival court data were obtained regarding 212,274 male and female adolescents. In the full models, less severe violent (assault vs. homicide) and sexual offenses (indecent exposure and child pornography vs. sexual abuse) were associated with lower use of detention and secure confineme...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Every year, most Black Americans report experiencing racial discrimination, which has been shown to have a variety of negative consequences. Aspects of racial identity, particularly holding a positive perception of one’s racial group... more
Every year, most Black Americans report experiencing racial discrimination, which has been shown to have a variety of negative consequences. Aspects of racial identity, particularly holding a positive perception of one’s racial group (private regard), may buffer the impact of negative experiences including racial discrimination through differential coping strategy use. The current study (1) examined whether level of private regard impacted the type of coping strategies used across various forms of perceived experiences of racial discrimination and (2) tested for indirect pathways from perceived experiences of racial discrimination to different coping strategy use. Adults (N = 297) from the community who self-identified as Black American/African American completed several questionnaires on Amazon’s Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Four-fifths (80%) of participants reported racial discrimination at least once. Racial identity—particularly private regard—was positively associated with active c...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Police receive extensive training due to the complexity and challenges of their work. Surprisingly, most police officers receive minimal training on how to understand and interact with adolescents. The current study included data from... more
Police receive extensive training due to the complexity and challenges of their work. Surprisingly, most police officers receive minimal training on how to understand and interact with adolescents. The current study included data from 1,030 law enforcement officers from 24 police departments evaluating perceived readiness to interact and work with adolescents in the community. We examined overall training needs, and then tested how experience in law enforcement and position or rank impacted self-identified training needs. Rank was associated with police officer perceptions of adolescents and related training needs. Compared with patrol officers, school resource officers indicated that they believed they had the skills needed to effectively work with adolescents [P = 0.001, odds ration (OR) = 2.5]. Beat or area patrol officers were significantly less likely than school resource officers to report feeling equipped to work with adolescents who have experienced trauma compared with new ...
Research Interests:
Gottfredson and Hirschi’s general theory of crime indicates that low levels of self-control leads to subsequent delinquency. Multiple studies suggest an indirect effect of parent and family factors on delinquency through self-control.... more
Gottfredson and Hirschi’s general theory of crime indicates that low levels of self-control leads to subsequent delinquency. Multiple studies suggest an indirect effect of parent and family factors on delinquency through self-control. Furthermore, evidence exists that race/ethnicity may affect the mediated relationship between parenting and delinquency. The present study collected information on demographics, parent–child attachment, self-control, and delinquency from 350 confined male adolescents. Models were run to test whether self-control mediated the relationship between total parent–child attachment and facets of parent–child attachment on delinquency. Results indicated self-control mediated the relationship between parent attachment and delinquent behavior. Follow-up models indicated uniquely influential pathways to delinquency depending on aspects of parent-child attachment and the race/ethnicity of the participant. Select aspects of parent–child attachment were more meaning...
Research Interests:
Black children are exposed to police violence at alarming rates. Such stress impacts development and treatment of physical health problems. In the current discourse, we introduce STYLE (Self-examination, Talk about community-police... more
Black children are exposed to police violence at alarming rates. Such stress impacts development and treatment of physical health problems. In the current discourse, we introduce STYLE (Self-examination, Talk about community-police relations and racism, Yield space and time to anti-racism work, Learn about how structural racism impacts child health, Evaluate policies and practices through an anti-racism lens). STYLE offers a framework through which professionals in pediatric psychology can engage in anti-racist work across contexts from clinical care to academic and advocacy settings. Pediatric psychologists have a responsibility to be on the frontline as interventionists, educators, researchers, organizers, and advocates for racial justice through anti-racism practices. The current paper introduces STYLE in clinical care, community service, training/supervision, and academic and advocacy contexts. Case examples are provided. Professionals in pediatric psychology must first focus on...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research suggests children from non-White and Hispanic/Latinx communities are at higher risk for child maltreatment. This study identified in which states children from specific non-White communities were overrepresented in child... more
Research suggests children from non-White and Hispanic/Latinx communities are at higher risk for child maltreatment. This study identified in which states children from specific non-White communities were overrepresented in child protective services reports for child physical, sexual, and emotional/psychological abuse through exploratory mapping. Reports on child maltreatment originated from the 2018 National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System and state-level population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau. Racial disparities were identified in states with unequal proportions of reported child maltreatment among a non-White child population compared to the proportion among the White child population. We found disparities for children from non-White communities in many states, especially for Black communities (Disparity Ratio [DR]: 15.10 for child physical abuse, DR: 12.77 for child sexual abuse in Washington DC, and DR: 5.25 for child emotional/psychological abuse in California). ...
Research Interests:
This commentary piece discusses the important and harmful outcomes that would have followed the recently signed United States’ Executive Order 13950—Combatting Race and Sex Stereotyping. Put simply, the Executive Order would have... more
This commentary piece discusses the important and harmful outcomes that would have followed the recently signed United States’ Executive Order 13950—Combatting Race and Sex Stereotyping. Put simply, the Executive Order would have seriously restricted federal diversity training content, and federal funding toward training and research work of federal contractors, on structural racism, sexism, and implicit bias. Executive Order 13950 was revoked by President Biden on his Inauguration Day; still, more needs to be done to address structural racism. Below, I describe why trainings that target implicit bias and structural racism and related research—are necessary for the public good. I also talk about critical next steps in trainings, research, and policy for key leadership toward reduction of structural racism. Given the recent change in US presidential administration, this timely paper has important implications for research focused on structural racism. Additionally, this discourse add...
Research Interests:
While there are several studies that have tested efficacy of implicit bias trainings, none have tested how working within a justice profession or how one’s racial identity impact outcomes following participation in such a training.... more
While there are several studies that have tested efficacy of implicit bias trainings, none have tested how working within a justice profession or how one’s racial identity impact outcomes following participation in such a training. Additionally, though empathy influences bias, no studies have tested for the effect of implicit bias training on ethnocultural empathy. The present study is a program evaluation of an implicit bias training program that examines the effects of profession and racial identity on outcomes, including ethnocultural empathy. The implicit bias training was a 3-h standardized training that described how implicit biases are formed, how they impact children in the school-to-prison pipeline and adults in society, the short- and long-term consequences of those biases, and strategies for responding to one’s own implicit biases. Participants who completed implicit bias trainings were 243 justice professionals and 274 non-justice professionals. Results indicated training outcomes were significantly associated with participant gender, race, racial identity, and whether participants worked in justice or non-justice professions. In addition, participants indicated several strengths and assets of the program; how receptive participants were to implicit bias training components was significantly associated with gender, race, and whether the participants worked in justice settings. The current study provides a necessary but incomplete picture of the strengths and weaknesses of this implicit bias training, lending support for continued trainings with more in-depth and longitudinal study of them.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The extent to which both an alleged offender and victim’s cultural background influences how one is processed through the Australian criminal justice system is largely unknown. Such information would provide some insight into the extent... more
The extent to which both an alleged offender and victim’s cultural background influences how one is processed through the Australian criminal justice system is largely unknown. Such information would provide some insight into the extent of discrimination within the system. To address this question, this study aimed to ascertain whether offender/victim pairings across Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultural backgrounds predicted the likelihood of receiving diversion for first-time offenders. The sample comprised 5,616 young people aged between 10 and 17 years, from the state of New South Wales, charged with (a) an offense eligible for diversion, and (b) a crime against a person. Chi-square analyses and binary logistic regression were employed to determine proportions of inter- and intra-cultural offending and the likelihood of receiving diversion dependant on cultural grouping. Results demonstrated that charges for intra-cultural crime (within cultural group) were more likely to occur...
Research Interests:
Objectives. To explore associations between police stops, self-harm, and attempted suicide among a large, representative sample of adolescents in the United Kingdom. Methods. Data were drawn from the 3 most recent sweeps of the UK... more
Objectives. To explore associations between police stops, self-harm, and attempted suicide among a large, representative sample of adolescents in the United Kingdom. Methods. Data were drawn from the 3 most recent sweeps of the UK Millennium Cohort Study (MCS), from 2012 to 2019. The MCS is an ongoing nationally representative contemporary birth cohort of children born in the United Kingdom between September 2000 and January 2002 (n = 10 345). Weights were used to account for sample design and multiple imputation for missing data. Results. Youths experiencing police stops by the age of 14 years (14.77%) reported significantly higher rates of self-harm (incidence rate ratio = 1.52; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.35, 1.69) at age 17 years and significantly higher odds of attempted suicide (odds ratio = 2.25; 95% CI = 1.84, 2.76) by age 17 years. These patterns were largely consistent across examined features of police stops and generally did not vary by sociodemographic factors. In ...