Caitlin Cavanagh
Associate Professor
532 Baker Hall
Biography
Caitlin Cavanagh is an Associate Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. Broadly, her research focuses on the intersections of psychology and the law, and how social contexts shape adolescent behavior. A developmental psychologist by training, she is particularly interested in family dynamics as they relate to the legal system. Her program of research seeks to produce developmentally sound research that can improve how the juvenile justice system interfaces with
Read moreEducation
PhD 2016, University of California Irvine
MA 2013, University of California Irvine
BA 2011, University of Rochester
Publications
Chlebuch, N., Paruk, J., Cavanagh, C., Frick, P., Steinberg, L., & Cauffman, E. (2025). Beyond reoffending and rearrest: Expanding the collateral consequences of formal processing to youth homelessness. Justice Quarterly, 42(4), 749-766.
Cavanagh, C., Orr, C., Kitzmiller, M. K., Mistrett, M., Martinez, R., & Villarruel, F. (2024). Understanding the lived experiences of youth incarcerated in adult facilities through their letters: A content analysis. Punishment & Society, 26(5), 813-839.
Cavanagh, C., Simmons, C., Liggett O’Malley, R., Frick, P., Steinberg, L., & Cauffman, E. (2024). The Moderating Role of Maternal CU Traits in the Stability of Justice-Involved Adolescents’ CU Traits. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 53(4), 562-576.
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Read moreResearch and Grants
The Siblings Study
The Juvenile Risk Assessment Study
The Short-Term Detention Study
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