Charisse Nixon, Ph.D.

Professor of Psychology, Psychology

Professor of Psychology, Applied Clinical Psychology M.A. Program

Assistant Director, Susan Hirt Hagen CORE

cln5@psu.edu

Office Phone: 814-898-6041

Office Location: 1 CORE, Balmer House

Mailing Address:

PENN STATE BEHREND
170 KOCHEL CENTER
ERIE, PA 16563

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Bio

Dr. Nixon earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from West Virginia University.

Courses Taught

C I 295, Introductory Field Experience for Teacher Preparation
PSU 007, First-Year Seminar Behrend
PSY 434, Children's Social & Emotional Development
PSYCH 100, Introductory Psychology (formerly PSY 002)
PSYCH 212, Introduction to Developmental Psychology
PSYCH 221, Introduction to Social Psychology (formerly PSY 217)
PSYCH 231, Introduction to the Psychology of Gender
PSYCH 301W, Basic Research Methods in Psychology
PSYCH 406W, Advanced Research Projects in Psychology
PSYCH 412, Adolescence
PSYCH 414, Social and Personality Development
PSYCH 490H, Senior Seminar in Psychology
PSYCH 494, Research Projects
PSYCH 496, Independent Studies
PSYCH 487B, Social Psychology in Our Lives
PSYCH 497C, Research Presentation in Psychology
PSYCH 497K, Applied Developmental Research

Research

Youth Voice Project: In collaboration with Stan Davis, we are looking at how students’ perceptions of peer victimization, strategy effectiveness and school connectedness contribute to perceived levels of trauma. We believe that students’ voices are an invaluable resource to increase our understanding of effective prevention and intervention efforts. The overall goal of this project is to compile a body of knowledge describing the most helpful interventions in order to help adults and youth reduce bullying and harassment in their own schools. It is our hope to use this information to guide educators, parents, and youth in applying effective interventions to reduce bullying and subsequently, optimize students’ development.
The empirical study of Protective and Risk Factors: Our lab continues to investigate various protective and risk factors as they relate to students’ developmental outcomes across gender and grade level.
Mentoring in the Schools: How does college mentoring affect students’ development in middle and high school? Are there different effects for at-risk and not at-risk children and youth? Gender effects? Grade level effects? Which individual components of a mentoring program produce the greatest effects? This is a collaborative effort between local schools, colleges and community organizations. College students have been involved at every level of this process.

Publications

Racially-focused peer victimization: Prevalence, psychosocial impacts, and the influence of coping strategies , Psychology of Violence - 2016

Targets of peer mistreatment: Do they tell adults? What happens when they do? , Teaching and Teacher Education - 2016

Peer Victimization in Youth from Immigrant and Non-Immigrant U.S. Families, School Psychology International

Cyber-Bullying, Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics - 2014

An investigation into how students' respond to being victimized by peer aggression, Journal of School Violence - 2014

Racially-Focused Peer Victimization Prevalence, Psychosocial Impacts, and the Influence of Coping Strategies, Psychology of Violence

Comparative study of bullying victimization among students in general and special education, Exceptional Children

Youth Voice Project: Student Insights into Bullying and Peer Mistreatment - November, 2013

Borden and Abbott’s Research Design and Methods - 2012

Empowering Bystanders - 2011

Relational victimization and somatic complaints during adolescence, Journal of Adolescent Health - 2011

What students say about bullying, Educational Leadership - 2011

Reducing adolescents’ involvement with relational aggression: evaluating the effectiveness of the Creating A Safe School (CASS) Intervention, Psychology in the Schools - 2010

Predictors and correlates of abortion in the fragile families and well-being study: Paternal behavior, substance use, and partner violence, International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction - 2009

Matlin’s Psychology of Women - 2008

Foreword - 2008

Effectiveness of antismoking public service announcements on children’s intent to smoke, Psychology of Addictive Behaviors - 2008

What is relational aggression? - 2007

Santrock’s Child Development - 2006

An exploratory analysis of the relationship between consumer socialization agents and children’s consumption of tobacco, Journal of College Teaching & Learning - 2006

Normative beliefs and relational aggression: An investigation of the cognitive bases of adolescent aggressive behavior, Journal of Youth and Adolescence - 2005

Girl wars: 12 strategies that will end female bullying - 2003

Family experiences and early emotion understanding, Merrill-Palmer Quarterly - 2001

Sibling disability and children’s reactivity to conflicts involving family members, Journal of Family Psychology - 1999

Social interaction skills and theory of mind in young children, Developmental Psychology - 1999

Education

Ph D, Developmental Psychology, West Virginia University

MS, Psychology, West Virginia University

MA, Guidance & Counseling, Bowling Green State University

BS, Psychology, Biology, Marietta College

Charisse Nixon, Ph.D.

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Courses Taught

Research

Penn State Behrend