Heather A. Turner

Heather A. Turner is a Professor of Sociology and Senior Research Associate at the Crimes against Children Research Center (CCRC) at the University of New Hampshire. Her work focuses on social stress processes and mental health, particularly examining the effects of violence, victimization, and adversity on children and adolescents. She has led major national surveys including the National Surveys of Children’s Exposure to Violence (NatSCEV I-III) funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). Turner’s research spans over 15 years, with over 125 peer-reviewed articles. She directs the International Conference on Social Stress Research and previously chaired the Sociology of Mental Health Section of the American Sociological Association (ASA).

Education
Ph.D., Human Development & Family Study, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
B.A., Sociology, University of Western Ontario.

Research Interests
- Childhood adversity and mental health
- Poly-victimization and resilience
- Technology-facilitated abuse
- Survey methodology
- Family dynamics and child victimization

Grants & Leadership
Principal Investigator on OJJDP grants (e.g., NatSCEV I-III) and NIH-funded studies. Current projects include investigations into image-based sexual abuse and technology-facilitated victimization. She collaborates with interdisciplinary teams at CCRC to address child protection through rigorous empirical research.

Labs/Teams
- Crimes Against Children Research Center (CCRC)
- Lead researcher in national violence prevention initiatives.