Social Ecology Professor of the Year

Chancellor’s Fellow

Dean’s Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching

Associated Graduate Students Mentoring Award

President-Elect of the Society for Research on Adolescence 

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine : Member

Society for Research on Adolescence : Executive Council

Do callous–unemotional traits moderate the effects of the juvenile justice system on later offending behavior?

Youth Perceptions of Law Enforcement and Worry About Crime from 1976 to 2016

Lesson learned? Mothers’ legal knowledge and juvenile rearrests.

Does self-report of aggression after first arrest predict future offending and do the forms and functions of aggression matter?

Age-Graded Differences and Parental Influences on Adolescents’ Obligation to Obey the Law

In 1965, the University of California, Irvine was founded with a mission to catalyze the community and enhance lives through rigorous academics, cutting-edge research, and dedicated public service. Today, we draw on the unyielding spirit of our pioneering faculty, staff and students who arrived on campus with a dream to inspire change and generate new ideas. We believe that true progress is made when different perspectives come together to advance our understanding of the world around us. And we enlighten our communities and point the way to a better future. At UCI, we shine brighter.

UC Irvine

Elizabeth Cauffman is a Professor in the Department of Psychological Science in the School of Social Ecology and holds courtesy appointments in the School of Education and the School of Law.  Dr. Cauffman received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Temple University and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Center on Adolescence at Stanford University.  At the broadest level, Dr. Cauffman’s research addresses the intersect between adolescent development and juvenile justice.  She has published over 100 articles, chapters, and books on a range of topics in the study of contemporary adolescence, including adolescent brain development, risk-taking and decision-making, parent-adolescent relationships, and juvenile justice.  Findings from Dr. Cauffman’s research were incorporated into the American Psychological Association’s amicus briefs submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court in Roper v. Simmons, which abolished the juvenile death penalty, and in both Graham v. Florida and Miller v. Alabama, which placed limits on the use of life without parole as a sentence for juveniles.  As part of her larger efforts to help research inform practice and policy, she served as a member of the MacArthur Foundation’s Research Network on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice as well as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on the Neurobiological and Socio-behavioral Science of Adolescent Development and Its Applications.  Dr. Cauffman currently directs the Center for Psychology & Law (http://psychlaw.soceco.uci.edu/) as well as the Masters in Legal & Forensic Psychology program (https://mlfp.soceco.uci.edu/) at UCI.  To learn more about her research, please visit her Development, Disorder, and Delinquency lab website.

Social Ecology

Juvenile Justice

Adolescent Development

Mental Health

Legal and Social Policy

UCI Faculty Profile

UCI Development, Disorder, and Delinquency Laboratory Website

ResearchGate Citations

Google Scholar Citations

Insights on Adolescent Brain Development Can Inform Better Youth Justice Policies

Solutions on Eyewitness News: Young Adult Court

UCI receives $10.1 million grant to expand Young Adult Court study

UCI study looks to improve jail inmate outcomes upon release

Young Adult Court: A New Approach to Justice

Crossroads: Formal vs. Informal Processing in the Juvenile Justice System

Building a Young Adult Court in Orange County

Professor of Psychological Science, Education and Law

Beyond CSI: We the People: The Victims, Offenders, and Wrongfully Accused

"Arrested Development"
Elizabeth Cauffman, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Psychology & Law

University of California, Irvine

Beyond CSI: Elizabeth Cauffman, Ph.D

Elizabeth Cauffman, UC Irvine social ecology professor, discusses her research on juvenile offenders and adolescent development, specifically the program "Crossroads: Formal vs. Informal Processing of Juvenile Offenders." Video by DocuThesis.com.
More: http://www.uci.edu/features/2011/05/feature_cauffman_110510.php

Elizabeth Cauffman on Juvenile Justice - UC Irvine

A 9th grader charged with assault for a spitball. A 12 year old sentenced to life in prison. These are the types of cases that Elizabeth Cauffman has focused her career on. She asks the fundamental question: are adolescents different from adults in ways that require different treatment under the law? In her talk, Elizabeth discusses how we can approach this question in a matter that is fair within our society. 

Elizabeth Cauffman is a Professor and Chancellor's Fellow in the Department of Psychology and Social Behavior in the School of Social Ecology and holds courtesy appointments in the School of Education and the School of Law. Dr. Cauffman's research addresses the intersect between adolescent development and juvenile justice. She has published over 100 articles, chapters and books on a range of topics in the study of contemporary adolescence, including adolescent brain development, risk-taking and decision making, parent-adolescent relationships, and juvenile justice. 

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

Arrested Development: Adolescent Development &amp; Juvenile Justice | Elizabeth Cauffman | TEDxUCIrvine

Select Inquiry Type