Dr. Waasdorp’s research focuses on translating child development theory and literature into prevention and intervention programming as well as examining the efficacy of school-based programming. Her programs aim to reduce bullying and aggression, improve children’s social and emotional skills, and help adults promote children’s positive peer relationships. She also has a strong focus on research methodology and related statistics.
Dr. Waasdorp is an Assistant Professor (tenure track) in Psychiatry at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and the Director of Research for School-Based Bullying and Social Emotional Learning for the Center for Violence Prevention at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Dr. Waasdorp is also a faculty member in the Center for Injury Research and Prevention at CHOP and PolicyLab. Her research focuses on designing and assessing school-based interventions aimed at reducing bullying and aggression and improving children's social and emotional skills (SEL). Dr. Waasdorp leads the evaluation of three school-based interventions, Preventing Relational Aggression Every day (PRAISE), Friend to Friend (F2F) and the Bullying Classroom Check-up (BCCU). PRAISE and F2F aim to reduce aggression and bullying among elementary school youth attending under-resourced schools. BCCU is a program that addresses bullying using an innovative, transportable training simulator combined with an evidence-based teacher-coaching model to increase teachers' prevention, detection, and responses to bullying. These programs are part of CHOP's Center for Violence Prevention. Dr. Waasdorp also serves as the lead on contracts with local and surrounding school districts, focusing on providing trauma-informed SEL training and curricula to support SEL in classroom-based community meetings and research on a district's nursing programming. Finally, she provides consultation for two technology companies that (1) aim to improve children's social and emotional health through reducing cyberbullying and, (2) on a scientific advisory board for an app that aims to provide mental health and social-emotional supports.
Dr. Waasdorp publishes peer-reviewed manuscripts on cyberbullying, school-based bullying prevention/intervention, forms of bullying and victimization, children's coping with bullying, teachers' and parents' responses to bullying, positive social and emotional development, and the impact of a school's climate on a child's development. She has also authored a book for teachers on bullying prevention and numerous book chapters on bullying and cyberbullying.
BA, Muhlenberg College (Psychology), 2002
MSEd, University of Pennsylvania (Counseling and Psychological Services), 2003
PhD, University of Delaware (Human Development), 2008
Fellowship, Johns Hopkins University (Prevention/Intervention), 2010
Director of Research for School-Based Bullying and Social Emotional Learning
Assistant Professor in Psychiatry (tenure track), Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Faculty Member of the Center for Research and Injury Prevention and PolicyLab, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Society for Prevention Research, 2008-
Society for Research in Child Development, 2008-
Society for Research in Adolescence, 2009-
Child, Intervention, Prevention and Services (CHIPS) Fellow NIMH, 2010
Society for Prevention Research Early Career Travel Award, 2014
Article of the year in School Psychology Review presented at the annual National Association for School Psychologists (NASP) conference, 2020
Distinguished Peer Reviewer for Prevention Science Journal, 2018, 2020
How Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Can Help Prevent Bullying (2018 webinar given for the Children's Safety Network)
Children Bullied Over Their Weight Are at Greater Risk of Internalizing the Abuse (2018 blog post for Center for Injury Research Prevention)
Flipping the switch: How techonology can help to prevent and address bullying (2018 blog post for Cambridge University Press)
Anti-Bullying Intervention for Teachers Shows Positive, Short-Term Outcomes (2020 article for National Institute of Justice)
Coaching Teachers in Bullying Detection and Intervention
NICHD/NIH
Role: MPI
Developing Social-Emotional Learning and Anti-Aggression/Bullying Curriculum for Early Elementary Grades.
CHOP Faculty Grant
Role: PI
Examining the Efficacy of the PRAISE with Coaching Program in Reducing Peer Aggression and Bullying
CDC
Role: MPI
The Friend-to-Friend Program: Effectiveness when Conducted by School Staff
NICHD/NIH
Role: Co-Investigator
Improving School Health Services for Children in a Local School District
Contract
Role: MPI
Contact Information
267-426-9286