My research primarily examines how exposure to adversity and trauma early in life
may shape the ways in which adolescents and young adults envision their futures. I
examine environmental factors that can help (e.g., social support) or hinder (e.g.,
poverty) youth from pursuing goals that are meaningful to them. My research involves
using existing nationally representative datasets as well as collecting new data.
Ultimately, I seek to conduct research that informs policies and interventions to
end generational cycles of trauma and poverty.
Undergraduate and graduate students are a critical part of all aspects of my research.
I welcome students to email me to discuss opportunities to become involved in research.
Lab website for the Trauma & Development Lab coming soon.
- Brumley, L. D., Pollio, E., Cooper, B., Steer, R. A., & Deblinger, E. (2021). Caregiver satisfaction
and perceptions of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-021-00372-y
- Brumley, L. D., *Nauphal, M., Schwartz, L. A., & Jaffee, S. R. (2021). Psychosocial correlates and
consequences of adolescents' self-generated academic goals and appraisals. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 31, 204-217.
- Brumley, L. D., Russell, M., & Jaffee, S. R. (2019). College expectations promote college attendance:
Evidence from a quasi-experimental sibling study. Psychological Science, 30, 1186-1194.
- Brumley, L. D., Brumley, B. P., & Jaffee, S. R. (2019). Comparing cumulative index and factor analytic
approaches to measuring maltreatment in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent
to Adult Health. Child Abuse & Neglect, 87, 65-76.
- Brumley, L. D., Jaffee, S., & Brumley, B. P. (2017). Pathways from childhood adversity to problem
behaviors in young adulthood: The mediating role of adolescents' future expectations.
Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 46, 1-14.
- Brumley, L. D. & Jaffee, S. (2016). Defining and distinguishing promotive and protective effects
for childhood externalizing psychopathology: A systematic review. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 51, 803-815.
*Undergraduate student at the time this research was conducted who was involved in
recruitment, data collection, data entry, and writing the manuscript.
My teaching philosophy is deeply informed by my training as a clinical psychologist.
I strongly believe that if students are respected and cared about, they will feel
more engaged in the course and able to thrive. I work to cultivate a classroom environment
that fosters student learning and engagement by (1) providing clear expectations and
procedures, (2) designing active learning exercises to equip students with critical
thinking tools they can use well beyond my course, (3) utilizing the principles of
universal design for learning, and (4) committing to continuous improvement of my
own teaching by gathering and responding to feedback from students throughout the
semester. As the semester goes on, I seek to minimize the amount of time that I am
a 'sage on the stage' and increasing the extent to which I am a 'guide on the side'
supporting students' learning. Across all my roles as a faculty member, I seek to
affirm and support students from marginalized groups. I am guided by my values to
promote anti-racist pedagogical practice, affirm students' gender identities, and
support LGBTQ+ students.
My research centers on a mission to improve outcomes for youth and families operating
under conditions of stress and disadvantage. I am invested in conducting research
to reduce the long-term negative effects of childhood trauma, as well as reduce number
of children who experience traumatic events in the first place. One line of my work
explores how exposure to adversity in childhood may (or may not) alter the ways in
which youth think about their futures and reduce their access to supports to help
them achieve their goals. My work currently focuses on youth who have experienced
maltreatment and/or been involved with the child welfare system. I am interested in
expanding my research on risk and protective factors to examine the impacts of discrimination
and systemic racism, as well as the positive impacts of racial socialization, on development
among youth of color.
My work involves a combination of original data collection and utilizing existing,
nationally representative datasets including the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent
to Adult Health (Add Health, https://addhealth.cpc.unc.edu). There are many benefits to utilizing existing datasets, including large sample
sizes (e.g., over 20,000 adolescents participated in Add Health), ability to make
inferences from nationally representative data, data available over the lifespan (e.g.,
Add Health participants have been surveyed five times between adolescence and adulthood),
and cost-effectiveness. There are many opportunities for students to contribute to
scientific knowledge and build their research skills by examining new questions in
this data.
When the lab is conducting studies involving original data collection, opportunities
for students will involve calling potential participants to explain the study and
invite them to participate, assisting with interviewing participants and/or administering
surveys, and entering data. Students will also have opportunities to participate in
the process of analyzing data and interpreting results, writing up results, and presenting
findings. I am currently working on designing a study to interview foster parents
about their experiences continuing relationships with children after reunification
with biological families. The presence of a supportive, caring nonparental adult in
children's lives is well-established as a protective factor that promotes positive
outcomes for children, but it is unknown how frequently former foster parents play
this role, or what supports they have to do so.
Undergraduate and graduate students are a critical part of all aspects of my research.
I welcome students to email me to discuss opportunities to become involved in research.
Lab website for the Trauma & Development Lab coming soon.
