Caitlyn Muniz

Dr. Caitlyn Muniz serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice within the College of Liberal Arts at The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). She earned her Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of South Florida in 2019 and teaches core courses including Introduction to Criminal Justice (CRIJ 1301), Criminology (CRIJ 3300), Juvenile Justice (CRIJ 3308), and Seminar in Selected Topics: At-Risk Youth & Delinquency (CRIJ 5340).

Her educational foundation centers on advanced criminological theory and research methodologies developed during her doctoral studies at the University of South Florida. This training directly informs her dual focus on theoretical innovation and empirical application across diverse crime contexts.

Dr. Muniz's research program critically examines victimology through multiple lenses including cyber victimization, juvenile justice systems, and theoretical criminology applications. Her work prominently features the intersection of digital behaviors and traditional crime theories, with particular emphasis on how frameworks like situational action theory, routine activities, and social learning explain modern cybercrime phenomena. She investigates nuanced questions around victim notification preferences, cyber hygiene practices, and cultural variations in victimization experiences while maintaining strong connections to foundational criminological concepts.

Analysis of her publication trajectory reveals three dominant research streams: (1) cybercrime dynamics including online harassment, cyber dating abuse, and darknet markets; (2) intimate partner and sexual violence with attention to gender, authority roles, and cultural contexts; and (3) theoretical extensions examining how childhood experiences, immigration status, and generational factors influence victimization pathways. Her methodological approach consistently integrates quantitative analysis with theoretical testing across diverse populations.

As an active faculty member, Dr. Muniz contributes to UTEP's academic mission through undergraduate and graduate instruction while maintaining a robust research agenda evidenced by consistent publication in premier journals including Criminal Justice & Behavior, Journal of Sexual Aggression, and Deviant Behavior. Her work bridges theoretical criminology with practical applications for victim support systems and crime prevention initiatives.