Andrew Grogan-Kaylor

Andrew Grogan-Kaylor is a Professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, where he conducts research focused on scientific knowledge development and intervention for children and families with the aim of reducing violence against children and improving family wellbeing. His work combines rigorous statistical methodology with practical applications to address critical issues in child welfare.

His educational background includes a PhD in Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin, Madison (2000), an MSSW in Social Work (1996), an MA in Religion from Union Theological Seminary, New York (1993), and a BA in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison (1987).

Grogan-Kaylor's research examines parenting behaviors such as physical punishment and emotional warmth, and their effects on children's aggression, antisocial behavior, anxiety, and depression across diverse socioeconomic contexts and cultures. He is particularly known for his comprehensive meta-analysis on spanking outcomes and has published extensively on disciplinary practices across 60+ countries. His methodological expertise includes advanced statistical modeling such as multilevel models and econometric methods using Stata, R, and GIS software, which he teaches in graduate courses on Multilevel and Longitudinal Data Analysis.

His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on cross-cultural comparative research, with significant contributions to understanding how macro-level factors like gender inequality, community violence, and economic conditions influence parenting behaviors and child outcomes globally. His 2025 book Multilevel Thinking: Discovering Variation, Universals, and Particulars in Cross-Cultural Research represents a major methodological contribution to the field.

• Grant from Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• Breakthrough Award at U-M's Psych Tank Funding Competition

Professor Grogan-Kaylor mentors students in advanced statistical methods and has been featured in major media outlets including MSN News and The Lancet for his research on corporal punishment. His work on the 'Global Families Project' examines parenting and child outcomes across diverse cultural contexts, with particular attention to low- and middle-income countries where disciplinary practices and their effects may differ significantly from Western contexts.

He leads interdisciplinary research teams that combine expertise in social work, psychology, public health, and statistics to address complex questions about family dynamics and child wellbeing across multiple cultural settings.