Thema S. Bryant-Davis, Ph.D.
Pepperdine University
Junior Investigator, Vulnerable Populations
Project Title: The influence of social factors on African American women's experiences of domestic violence
"I applied to this grant: (1) to enhance my skills as a researcher and as a grant applicant, (2) to contribute to the intimate partner violence literature with a particular focus on African American women, and (3) to gain funds to disseminate relevant findings beyond the academy to agencies serving persons affected by intimate partner violence."
Project Description
Bryant-Davis' project investigates the influence of social factors - poverty, education, employment, social support, neighborhood safety and religious involvement on African American mothers who have experienced partner abuse. The study explores both the social risk factors contributing to the occurrence of abuse as well as the social risk factors contributing to survivors' abuse of substances. The study uses data from the Fragile Families Project, a multi-city sample of mothers of diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Biography
Thema Bryant-Davis, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at Pepperdine University and a researcher, educator and licensed psychologist with expertise in the cultural context of trauma recovery. She completed her doctoral training at Duke University and her postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical Center.
Bryant-Davis served for three years as an American Psychological Association representative to the United Nations. In 2007 she was awarded the Emerging Leader of Women in Psychology Award by the American Psychological Association Committee on Women in Psychology. She authored the book, "Thriving in the Wake of Trauma: A Multicultural Guide."
