Jessica Craig

Jessica Craig is an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of North Texas, serving as Director of Graduate Programs. Her research focuses on developmental/life course criminology, juvenile justice, and the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on criminal behavior. She examines protective factors against offending and desistance processes.

Key research interests include trauma's influence on delinquency, intergenerational transmission of ACEs, and the efficacy of interventions in juvenile mental health courts. Her work bridges criminology with psychology, sociology, and policy analysis.

Publications since 2020 emphasize ACEs' role in recidivism, institutional misconduct, and the transition from juvenile to adult correctional systems. She also explores immigrant offending patterns and the effects of empathy-based interventions in juvenile rehabilitation.

Her research has implications for criminal justice policy, treatment programs, and prevention strategies targeting at-risk youth. Craig's interdisciplinary approach includes collaborations on study abroad programs and empirical studies on family dynamics, acculturation, and military participation's impact on offending.