We are delighted to announce that Imge Dogan successfully defended her dissertation proposal titled "Rethinking Family as a Stressor/Strain: The Impact of Youth’s Assessment of the Family Unit on the Link Between Family Disruption and Later Delinquency". Imge's mentor is Dr. Holly Foster, her committee members are Dr. Jamilia Blake (Public Health), Dr. Defne Över, and Dr. Heili Pals.
Imge's dissertation investigates the complex relationship between family disruption-oriented stressors, adolescents’ assessments of family resourcefulness, and delinquent behavior, drawing on the stress-coping framework and General Strain Theory. Utilizing the Kaplan Longitudinal and Multigenerational Study (KLAMS), the study introduces the Family Resourcefulness Rated by Youth (FARY) scale, a novel tool developed to evaluate how adolescents assess their family environments during periods of instability. These assessments are examined as moderating variables influencing the association between family disruptions and delinquency. Additionally, Imge's research utilizes latent class analysis to identify distinct clusters of adolescents based on shared experiences of adverse life events, distinguishing high- and low-risk groups to avoid overgeneralizations about family disruption. By incorporating critical demographic controls, including age, gender, and number of siblings, and using delinquency as the dependent variable, Imge is able to address key gaps in understanding how family instability impacts adolescent behavioral outcomes. The findings are expected to advance theoretical frameworks and inform practical strategies aimed at mitigating the adverse effects of family disruptions, ultimately supporting at-risk youth through evidence-based interventions.
Congratulations, Imge, for making it to ABD!