Karen J. Terry

Karen J. Terry, Ph.D., is a Professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY) and faculty member of the Criminal Justice Doctoral Program at the Graduate Center, CUNY.

• Education: Ph.D. and MPhil in Criminology from University of Cambridge
• Education: B.A. in Criminology and Law and Society & Psychology from University of California, Irvine

Her research focuses on sexual offending and victimization, particularly institutional child abuse, with significant federal and private grant funding. She led groundbreaking studies on sexual abuse of minors by Catholic priests in the U.S. and has contributed to policing policy research (e.g., NYPD stop-and-frisk evaluations) and international criminal justice education initiatives in China.

Her work spans interdisciplinary domains including Criminal Justice, Forensic Psychology, and Public Policy, often intersecting with Homeland Security education programs.

She trains students in criminal justice education and collaborates with federal agencies, institutions, and international partners to advance research and policy reform.