Victim Researcher Profile

BIO

Chris Melde is an associate professor, Director of Graduate Studies, and Associate Director in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. He is an affiliated faculty member in Global Urban Studies and the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University, and a research associate at the Michigan Justice Statistics Center. His research focuses primarily on street gangs, youth violence, and individual cognitive, emotional, and behavioral reactions to crime and victimization risk. Dr. Melde was awarded the 2015 Tory J. Caeti Young Scholar Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. He is currently the principal investigator or co-principal investigator on several funded projects, including two National Institute of Justice (NIJ) funded projects on school safety. One of these projects, in cooperation with the Flint Community School District, focuses on the role of school safety in the successful transition to high school, and what school districts can do to help mitigate the negative repercussions of student perceptions of victimization risk. The second project focuses on the implementation of best practices for developing a positive and safe school climate using a coordinated effort of restorative practices, youth mental health first aid, and crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED).

VICTIMIZATION FOCUS

Bullying, Drug-Related Victimization, Gun Violence, Physical Assault (other than domestic violence or elder abuse), Robbery, Sexual Abuse or Violence (other than campus sexual assault), Vicarious Trauma

SPECIAL POPULATIONS

Child victims, Men and boys of color, Male victims generally, Urban high crime neighborhood victims

RESEARCH EXPERTISE

Action research, Community-based participatory research, Data collection, Program evaluation, Qualitative studies, Quantitative studies, Quasi-experimental studies, Randomized controlled trial

VICTIM RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Data collection, Program evaluation, Qualitative studies, Quantitative studies, Quasi-experimental studies, Randomized controlled trial