New Brunswick, N.J. (Feb. 12, 2019) – Abigail Williams-Butler, assistant professor in the School of Social Work, is available to speak on topics related to positive child development outcomes among African American youth in the foster care system, particularly related to the impact of gender on the outcome of delinquency. Williams-Butler, who recently completed research on African American youth in foster care, is passionate about conducting research with both interventions and policy change in mind.
Williams-Butler says, “In thinking about what works to aid African American youth in the foster care system to stop their trajectory into the juvenile system, it is important to contextualize their experiences. This means understanding what factors may have contributed to these youth becoming involved in the foster care system and what may be beneficial in predicting positive developmental outcomes after contact with the foster care system. Using this knowledge, intervention development may be informed and policy changes can be made to decrease the likelihood of negative outcomes for this high-risk group."
“What people may not realize is that resilience theory can be applied to the foster care system to identify factors that may later reduce the likelihood of youth engaging in criminal acts,” Williams-Butler continued.
For interviews with Abigail Williams-Butler, please contact her at [email protected].
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