Addressing Intimate Partner Violence

Join us for this special presentation by Dr. Carrie K.W. Li, an Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong and a Visiting Faculty Member at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Li is also an alum of the MSU School of Criminal Justice Doctoral Program! 

Dr. Li is joining us to discuss intimate partner violence and developing integrated, multilevel approaches to reduce instances of intimate partner violence. After the presentation, there is an opportunity for audience questions and engagement.

Abstract: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a major public health and human rights issue with significant physical, psychological, relational, and embodied consequences. This presentation introduces two interconnected projects that examine IPV through interdisciplinary perspectives, including criminology, sociology, social work, gender studies, psychology, family studies, public health, trauma studies, and neuroscience.

The first project focuses on theory development through a cross-national, multilevel examination of IPV victimization among women and men. It explores how broader structural conditions intersect with individual experiences to shape IPV risk. By integrating macro- and micro-level perspectives, this work aims to advance a more comprehensive understanding of IPV across diverse global contexts.

The second project focuses on intervention development and survivor healing. It examines an integrative, culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and mindfulness-based intervention for individuals with histories of IPV. Using a mixed-methods randomized controlled trial design, the project assesses indicators of holistic well-being, empowerment, and stress regulation through surveys, interviews, and biomarkers.

Together, these projects reflect an interdisciplinary research agenda that moves from understanding the multilevel determinants of IPV to developing culturally grounded, trauma-informed, mindfulness-based, and neuroscience-informed approaches to survivor recovery. The presentation will discuss implications for theory development, policy, practice, clinical intervention, and global efforts to prevent IPV.

Biography: Carrie K. W. Li, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Work and Social Administration at the University of Hong Kong and an International Visiting Faculty member at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.

Dr. Li is an interdisciplinary scholar whose research bridges criminology, sociology, social work, psychology, nursing, and public health. She earned her PhD in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University, her MSc in Crime Science from University College London, and her BSc with Honours in Experimental Psychology from the University of Bristol.

Dr. Li’s research has been supported by numerous competitive grants totaling more than USD 1.3 million. Her work has been published in leading peer-reviewed international journals, including Journal of Interpersonal Violence, Family Process, Child Abuse & Neglect, Journal of Family Violence, Violence Against Women, Victims & Offenders, Deviant Behavior, and Journal of Prevention and Health Promotion.