Meagan Docherty

Dr. Meagan Docherty is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Bowling Green State University (BGSU), within the College of Arts & Sciences. Her research focuses on developmental aggression, antisocial behavior, gun use predictors, and callous-unemotional traits in youth. She employs longitudinal datasets and advanced quantitative methods to study the impact of violence exposure, trauma, and caregiving environments on behavioral outcomes. Dr. Docherty holds a B.A. from The College of New Jersey and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Rutgers University-Newark.

Her work emphasizes two core areas: 1) factors influencing handgun carrying and 2) the development of callous-unemotional traits. Key findings include bidirectional parenting-callousness relationships and the role of ethnic-political conflict in adolescent aggression. She actively mentors undergraduate and graduate students, teaching courses like PSYC 3040 (Adolescent Development) and PSYC 7800 (Longitudinal Modeling).

• Education:
  • B.A., The College of New Jersey
  • M.A., Ph.D., Rutgers University-Newark

Research interests span developmental criminology, trauma effects, and psychosocial interventions. Her recent publications (2023-2025) address firearm suicide prevention, media violence contagion, and sociopolitical identity impacts. She is affiliated with BGSU’s Institute for Psychological Research and Application.