JUAN CASAS, PhD
Professor
Department of Psychology
347U A&S Hall
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska 68182-0274
(402) 554-2458
Biography
Dr. Casas received his PhD in Child Psychology from the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota in 2002. He was also a doctoral student in Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Illinois from 1993-1996. Dr. Casas received his BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan in 1993.
His research program focuses primarily on relational aggression and victimization. Relational aggression is a relatively new construct, relative to research on physical aggression, that focuses on the use of relationships as the vehicle of harm (e.g., I'm not going to be your friend unless, getting other kids not to like or play with kids you are mad at, silent treatment, spreading mean rumors). Dr. Casas currently has four on-going research projects. The first project addresses the etiology of relational aggression and looks specifically at the early parent-child relationships and children's use of relational aggression in preschool. As part of the study, he is also collecting information about the quality of relationally aggressive children's friendships. The second study is a collaborative effort with community organizations and local schools focusing on the growing phenomenon of cyberbullying. The current project in this line is attempting to collect information on the sort of bullying children are experiencing and the frequency with which these interactions occur. The third research project Dr. Casas is involved in is a collaborative effort between multiple members of the UNO Psychology Department and schools in the Omaha Public Schools. Specifically, they are collecting information about parent's involvement and children's academic success in dual language programs. The fourth project focuses on intergroup relationships broadly defined but includes Latinos in the United States.
Recent Publications
Journal Articles
Ryan, C. S., Hunt, J. S., Weible, J. A., Peterson, C. R., & Casas, J. F. (in press). Multicultural versus colorblind ideology, stereotypes, and ethnocentrism among Black and White Americans. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations.
Casas, J. F., Weigel, S. M., Crick, N. R., Ostrov, J. M., Woods, K., Jansen Yeh, E., & Huddleston-Casas, C. A. (2006). Early parenting and children's relational and physical aggression in the preschool and home contexts. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 27, 209-227.
Kelly-Vance, L., Nero, C., Casas, J. F., Ryan, C. S., Ryalls, B. O., Kurien, S., & Ferguson, A. (2006). Parental involvement in education: A comparison of English and Spanish speaking parents. New Mexico Review, 14, 15-25.
Casas, J. F., Ryan, C. S., Kelly-Vance, L., Ryalls, B. O., Ferguson , A., & Nero, C. (2005). Examining the impact of parental involvement in a dual language program: Implications for children and schools. OLLAS Special Report No. 2. Omaha, NE: Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS), University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Ostrov, J. M., Woods, K., Jansen, E., Casas, J. F., & Crick, N. R. (2004). An observational study of aggression, victimization, and social-psychological adjustment in preschool: "This white crayon doesn't work." Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 19, 355-371.
Crick, N. R., Casas, J. F., & Nelson, D. A. (2002). Toward a more comprehensive understanding of peer maltreatment: Studies of relational victimization. Current Directions in the Psychological Sciences, 11, 98-101.
Crick, N. R., Casas, J. F., & Ku, H. (1999). Relational and physical forms of peer victimization in preschool. Developmental Psychology, 35, 376-385.
Crick, N. R., Casas, J. F., & Mosher, M. (1997). Relational and overt aggression in preschool. Developmental Psychology, 33, 579-588.
Book Chapters
Morales, J. R., Cullerton-Sen, C., Crick, N. R., & Casas, J. F. (in press). Relational aggression and victimization in dyadic peer relationships: Once I ran to you, now I run from you. In M. Sandstrom & S. Fein (Eds.), Aggressive girls. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Casas, J. F. (2004). Aggression. In C. B. Fisher & R. M. Lerner (Eds.), Applied developmental science: An encyclopedia of research, policies, and programs. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Crick, N. R., Ostrov, J. M., Appleyard, K., Jansen, E. A., & Casas, J. F. (2004). Relational aggression in early childhood: "You can't come to my birthday party unless." In M. Putallaz & K. Bierman (Eds.), Aggression, antisocial behavior, and violence among girls. New York: Guilford Press.
Crick, N. R., Nelson, D. A., Morales, J. R., Cullerton-Sen, C., Casas, J. F., & Hickman, S. E. (2001). Relational victimization in childhood and adolescence: I hurt you through the grapevine. In J. Juvonen & S. Graham (Eds.), Peer harassment in school: The plight of the vulnerable and the victimized. New York: Guilford Press.
Crick, N. R., Werner, N. E., Casas, J. F., O'Brien, K. M., Nelson, D. A., Grotpeter, J. K., & Markon, K. (1999). Childhood aggression and gender: A new look at an old problem. In D. Bernstein (Ed.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation; Vol. 45. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
Research Projects
| Parental Involvement Among Students in a Dual Language Program | |
| UNO Office of Latin/Latin American Studies Research Grant | |
| Role: PI | 2004-2005 |
| Early Parenting and Children's Use of Relational Aggression in Preschool | |
| University of Nebraska, Omaha, University Committee on Research Grant | |
| Role: PI | 2003-2004 |
