Cathy Spatz Widom

Cathy Spatz Widom is a Distinguished Professor in the Psychology Department at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, part of the City University of New York (CUNY). She holds affiliate faculty status at CUNY’s Graduate Center. Her research focuses on the long-term consequences of child abuse and neglect, particularly the intergenerational transmission of trauma and the cycle of violence.

Education: BS in Child Development and Family Relationships (Cornell University); MS and PhD in Psychology (Brandeis University).

Research Interests: Widom investigates how childhood maltreatment impacts adult outcomes, including criminal behavior, mental health, and family dynamics. She also explores policy implications and interventions to break cycles of violence. Her work intersects psychology, criminology, and public health, with a focus on interdisciplinary approaches.

Awards: Recipient of the 1989 AAAS Behavioral Science Prize, 2016 Stockholm Prize in Criminology, and numerous fellowships from professional associations like the APA and American Society of Criminology.

Advising/Grants: Co-leads the Summer Training Institute in Child Abuse and Neglect, funded by NICHD, to mentor early-career researchers. Her landmark 1986 longitudinal study on child abuse consequences continues to inform policy and research.

Labs/Teams: Leads multidisciplinary teams analyzing data from her decades-long cohort study, collaborating with institutions like Washington University and the National Research Council.