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Faculty by area of expertise 
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Albert D. Farrell
Professor and Director, VCU Clark-Hill Institute for Positive Youth Development
Contact information
Phone: (804) 828-8796
E-mail: afarrell@vcu.edu
Education
Ph.D. (1980), Purdue University
Program affiliation
Research interests
I have a strong interest in research methodology, particularly as it applies to longitudinal research and prevention science. My substantive research focuses on the identification of risk and protective factors related to adolescent problem behaviors, especially youth violence. A particular emphasis is on identifying factors that promote the positive development of youth in high risk environments (e.g., those exposed to community violence). This interest has led to a series of qualitative and quantitative studies designed to identify factors that promote urban adolescents’ use of effective nonviolent responses to problem situations. Since 1992, I have been involved in a collaborative effort with community agencies to develop effective evidence-based violence prevention programs for early adolescents. This effort has been funded by grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Education, and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
I have a strong interest in training graduate students to become applied researchers. My graduate students are typically funded through research assistantships and work on projects within the VCU Clark-Hill Institute for Positive Youth Development - one of 10 National Academic Centers of Excellence for Youth Violence Prevention funded by the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Selected publications
Farrell, A. D., & Sullivan, T. N. (2004). Impact of witnessing violence on growth curves for problem behaviors among early adolescents in urban and rural settings. Journal of Community Psychology, 32, 505-525.
Farrell, A. D., & Vulin-Reynolds, M. (2007). Violent behavior and the science of prevention. In D. Flannery, A. Vazonsyi, & I. Waldman (Eds.), Cambridge handbook of violent behavior (pp. 766-786). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Farrell, A. D., Erwin, E. H., Allison, K., Meyer, A. L., Sullivan, T. N., Camou, S., Kliewer, W., & Esposito, L. E. (2007). Problematic situations in the lives of urban African American middle school students: A qualitative study. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 17, 413-454.
Farrell, A. D., Erwin, E. H., Bettencourt, A., Mays, S., Vulin-Reynolds, M., Sullivan, T. N., Allison, K., Kliewer, W., & Meyer, A. L. (2008). Individual factors influencing effective nonviolent behavior and fighting in peer situations: A qualitative study with urban African American adolescents. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 37, 397-411.
The Multisite Violence Prevention Project. (2009). The ecological effects of universal and selective violence prevention programs for middle school students: A randomized trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 77, 526-542.
Recent/current courses taught at VCU
- Research Methods in Clinical Psychology, graduate level
| Recent grants or awards |
| Principal Investigator, “Evaluation Research Study in the Area of Aggression and Interpersonal Youth Violence.” Grant approved and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. September, 1999 to September, 2006, $4,495,329. |
| Faculty Mentor (Principal Investigator: Monique Vulin), “Exposure to Community Violence, Schemas and Youth Adjustment. Dissertation research award funded by National Institute of Mental Health, June, 2005 to May, 2007, $110,745. |
| Principal Investigator, “Virginia Commonwealth University-Center for Youth Violence Prevention.” Grant approved and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. September, 2005 to September, 2010, $4,298,994. |
| Faculty Mentor (Principal Investigator: Amie Bettencourt), “Urban Adolescents Responses to Verbal Victimization: Does adjustment play a role?” Dissertation research award funded by National Institute of Mental Health, June, 2007-May, 2009, $48,197. |
| Principal Investigator, "Individual, parent, and school-level protective factors in early adolescence." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. September, 2007 - September, 2009, $400,000. |