Rachel Yeung Thompson

Dissertation

Understanding the Course of Peer Victimization and Internalizing Problems among Adolescents: Building Strength through Parent, Friend, and Dating Partner Emotional Support

Supervisor

Dr. Bonnie Leadbeater

Research interests

Rachel’s research focuses on identifying protective factors that build strength and improve the mental health of children and adolescents. She is particularly interested in developing resources that build resilience and capacity in various contexts (families, schools, and communities), program development and evaluation, and applications in developmental theory for policy initiatives.

Rachel’s dissertation investigated the course and changes in the association between peer victimization and internalizing problems over a four-year period. Findings indicated that parent and friend emotional support significantly diminished this relation over time, and offered implications for practices and programs that promote healthy relationships for adolescents.

Representative publications

Ryan, M. M., Yeung, R. S., Bass, M., Kapil, M., Slater, S., & Creedon, K. (2012). Developing Research Capacity among Graduate Students in an Interdisciplinary Training Environment.  Higher Education Research & Development, 1-13.

Yeung, R. S., & Leadbeater, B. J.  (2010).  Adults make a difference: The protective effects of parent and teacher emotional support on emotional and behavioral problems among peer victimized adolescents.  Journal of Community Psychology, 38(1), 80-98.

Leadbeater, B., Banister, E. M., Ellis, W. E., & Yeung, R.  (2008).  Victimization and  relational aggression in adolescent romantic relationships: The influence of parent and peer behaviors, and individual adjustment. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 37(3), 359-372.

Awards

• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Doctoral Fellowship
• Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Senior Trainee Award
• The Erich and Shelley Mohr Fellowship in Psychology