Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne (jb224)

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Jeanne Brooks-Gunn

Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Child and Parent Development and Education
Co-director, National Center for Children & Families
212-678-3369

Office Location:

254 Building 528

Office Hours:

Please contact Courtney Parent (cjp2193@tc.columbia.edu) to arrange an appointment.
Personal Website

TC Affiliations:

Faculty Expertise:

Educational Background

B.A., Connecticut College;
M.Ed., Harvard University;
Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania

Scholarly Interests

Child and family policy and programs; early childhood interventions and education; adolescent transitions and development; neighborhoods, communities and poverty; growing up female; design implementation and analyses of large, national, long-term follow-up studies of children, youth, and families (current studies include: Fragile Families, Child Well-Being Study, Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, Early Head Start). 

Selected Publications

Dr. Brooks-Gunn is the author of seven books, 17 edited volumes, and over 700 peer-reviewed articles.

A complete list of her publications can be accessed in the Documents tab of this faculty profile. 

BOOKS

Brooks-Gunn, J., & Matthews, W. (1979). He and she: How children develop their sex-role identity. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Lewis, M., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (1979). Social cognition and the acquisition of self. New York: Plenum.

Furstenberg, F. F., Jr., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Morgan, S. P. (1987). Adolescent mothers in later life. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Brooks-Gunn, J., Fuligni, A. S., & Berlin, L. J. (2003). Early child development in the 21st Century: Profiles of current research initiatives. New York: Teachers College Press.

Brooks-Gunn, J., Han, W.-J., Waldfogel, J. (2010). First-year maternal employment and child development in the first seven years. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 75. PMCID: PMC2844643

Love, J. M., Chazan-Cohen, R., Raikes, H., Brooks-Gunn, J. (2013) What makes a difference?  Early Head Start Evaluation findings in a developmental context.  Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 78. PMID: 23425422

Lerner, R., Petersen, A.C., Silbereisen, R.K., Brooks-Gunn, J. (2013). The developmental science of adolescence: History through autobiography. New York: Taylor & Francis.

ARTICLES

I. Pregnancy

A. Prenatal Development

1. Transition to Motherhood

Howard, K., Martin, A., Berlin, L. J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2011) Early mother-child separation, parenting, and child well-being in Early Head Start families. Attachment and Human Development, 13, 5-26.

Howard, K. S. & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). Relationship supportiveness during the transition to parenting among married and unmarried parents. Parenting: Science and Practice, 9, 123-142.

Ryan, R. M., Tolani, N., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). Relationship trajectories, parenting stress, and unwed mothers’ transition to a new baby. Parenting: Science and Practice, 9, 160-177.

2. Consequences of Perinatal Conditions

Nomura, Y., Halperin, J. M., Newcorn, J. H., Davey, C., Fifer, W. P., Savitz, D. A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). The risk for impaired learning-related abilities in childhood and educational achievement among adults born near-term. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 34, 406-418.

Nomura, Y., Rajendran, K., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Newcorn, J. H. (2008). Roles of perinatal problems on adolescent antisocial behaviors among children born after 33 completed weeks: A prospective investigation. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49, 1108-1117.

Nomura, Y., Brooks-Gunn, J., Davey, C., Ham, J., & Fifer, W. P. (2007). The role of perinatal problems for risk of co-morbid psychiatric and medical disorders in adulthood. Psychological Medicine, 37, 1323-1334.

Nomura, Y., Wickramaratne, P. J., Pilowsky, D. J., Newcorn, J. H., Bruder, B., Davey, C., Weissman, M. M. (2007). Low birth weight and risk of affective disorders and selected medical illness in offspring at high and low risk for depression. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 48, 470-478.

B. Prenatal Interventions (Enrollment & Home Visiting)

Duggan, A., Minkovitz, C.S., Chaffin, M., Korfmacher, J., Brooks-Gunn, J.,Crowne, S., Filene, J., Gonsalves, K., Landsverk, J., & Hartwood, R. (2013). Creating a national Home Visiting Research Network. Pediatrics, 132, S82-S89.

Haskins, R., Paxson, C., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). Social science rising: A tale of evidence shaping public policy. [Policy brief]. Future of Children, 19(2).

Howard, K. S., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). The role of home-visiting programs in preventing child abuse and neglect. Future of Children, 19(2), 119-146.

II. Childhood

A. Child Development

1. Emotional Regulation & Attention

Razza, R., Martin, A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2012). Anger and children’s socioemotional development: Is there a positive side to a negative emotion? Journal of Family and Child Studies, 21, 845-856.

Georges, A., Malone, L., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2012). Link between young children's behavior and achievement: The role of social class and classroom composition. American Behavioral Scientist, 56, 961-990.

Razza, R. A., Martin, A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2010). Associations among family environment, sustained attention, and school readiness for low-income children. Developmental Psychology, 46, 1528–1542.

Duncan, G. J., Dowsett, C. J., Claessens, A., Magnuson, K., Huston, A. C., Klebanov, P., Japel, C. (2007). School readiness and later achievement. Developmental Psychology, 43, 1428–1446.

McCabe, L. A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2007). With a little help from my friends?: Self-regulation in groups of young children. Infant Mental Health Journal, 28, 584-605.

2. Eating, Exercise, Sleep, & Weight

Martinson, M.L., Mclanahan, S., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2012). Race/ethnic and nativity disparities in child overweight in the United States and England. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 643, 219-238.

Barajas, R. G., Martin, A., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Hale, L. (2011). Mother-child bed-sharing in toddlerhood and cognitive and behavioral outcomes. Pediatrics, 128, 339-347.

Hale, L., Berger, L., Brooks-Gunn, J., & LeBourgeois, M. (2011). A longitudinal study of low-income preschooler's language-based bedtime routines with sleep duration, and cognitive, behavioral and health outcomes. Journal of Family Psychology, 25, 423–433.

Kimbro, R. T., Brooks-Gunn, J., & McLanahan, S. (2011). Young children in urban areas: Links among neighborhood characteristics, weight status, outdoor play, and television watching. Social Science & Medicine, 72, 668-676.

Hale, L., Berger, L. M., LeBourgeois, M. K., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). Social and demographic predictors of preschoolers’ bedtime routines. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 30, 394-402.

Hetzner, N. M. P., Razza, R. A., Malone, L.M., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). Associations among feeding behaviors during infancy and child illness at two years. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 13, 795–805.

Philipsen, N., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2008). Overweight and obesity in childhood. In T. P. Gullotta & G. M. Blau (Eds.), Handbook childhood behavioral issues: Evidence-based approaches to prevention and treatment (pp. 125-146). New York: Russell Sage.

Gibson-Davis, C., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2007). The association of couples' relationship status and quality with breastfeeding initiation. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69, 1107–1117. 

Kimbro, R., Brooks-Gunn, J., & McLanahan, S. (2007). Children’s overweight and obesity at age three: Examining the racial and ethnic differentials. American Journal of Public Health, 97, 298-305.

3. Biobehavioral Interactions

Mitchell, C., McLanahan, S., Brooks-Gunn, J., Garfinkel, I., & Notterman, D. (in press). The
influence and interplay of family instability and genes on children’s eternalizing behavior. American Sociological Review.

Lee, D., Brooks-Gunn, J., McLanahan, S., Notterman, D., & Garfinkel, I. (2013). The Great
Recession, genetic sensitivity, and maternal harsh parenting. Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, 110, 34. 1-5.

Mitchell, C., McLanahan, S., Brooks-Gunn, J., Garfinkel, I., Hobcraft, J., & Notterman, D. (2013). Genetic differential sensitivity to social environments: Implications for research. American Journal of Public Health, 103, S102-S110.

Mitchell, C., Notterman, D., Brooks-Gunn, J., Hobcraft, J., Garfinkel, I., Jaeger, K., Kotenko, I.,
& McLanahan, S. S. (2011). Role of mother’s genes and environment in postpartum depression. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108, 8189–8193.

4. Family and Neighborhood Poverty

Chen, J.J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2012). Neighborhoods, schools, and achievement. In K.R. Harris, S. Graham, T. Urdan, S. Graham, J.M. Royer, & M. Zeidner (Eds.), APA educational psychology handbook: Individual differences and cultural and contextual factors (Vol. 2, pp. 337-360). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Johnson, A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2012). Child care and early education for low-income families: Choices and consequences. In V. Maholmes, & R. B. King (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of poverty and child development (pp. 354-371). New York: Oxford University Press.

Leventhal, T., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2011). Changes in neighborhood poverty from 1990 to 2000 and youth’s problem behaviors. Developmental Psychology, 47, 1680-1698.

Foster, H., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). Toward a stress process model of children's exposure to physical family and community violence. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 12, 71-94.

Burchinal, M., Nelson, L., Carlson, M., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2008). Neighborhood characteristics, and child care type and quality. Early Education and Development, 19, 702-725.

Brooks-Gunn, J., Rouse, C., & McLanahan, S. (2007). Racial and ethnic gaps in school readiness. In R.C. Pianta, M.J. Cox, & K. Snow (Eds.), School readiness and the transition to kindergarten (pp. 283-306). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

5. Family Structure

Martin, A., Brazil, A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2013). The socioemotional outcomes of young children of teenage mothers by paternal coresidence. Journal of Family Issues, 43, 1-21. 

Craigie, T.A., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Waldfogel, J. (2012). Family structure, family stability and outcomes of five-year-old children. Families, Relationships and Societies: An international Journal of Research and Debate, 1, 43-61.

Carlson , M. J., Pilkauskas, N. V., McLanahan, S., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2011). Couples as partners and parents over children’s early years. Journal of Marriage and Family, 73, 317-334.

Beck, A. N., Cooper, C. E., McLanahan, S., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2010). Partnership transitions and maternal parenting. Journal of Marriage and Family, 72, 219-233. 

Waldfogel, J., Craigie, T.-A., Brooks-Gunn, J. (2010). Fragile families and child well-being. Future of Children, 20, 87-112.

Cooper, C. E., McLanahan, S., Meadows, S., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). Family structure transitions and maternal parenting stress. Journal of Family and Marriage, 71, 558 – 574.

Carlson, M. J., McLanahan, S., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2008). Coparenting and nonresident fathers’ involvement with young children after a nonmarital birth. Demography, 45, 461-488.

Meadows, S. O., McLanahan, S., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2008). Stability and change in family structure and maternal health trajectories. American Sociological Review, 73, 314-334.

Gibson-Davis, C., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2007). The association of couples' relationship status and quality with breastfeeding initiation. Journal of Marriage and Family 69, 1107–1117.

Meadows, S. O., McLanahan, S., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2007). Parental depression and anxiety and early childhood behavior problems across family types. Journal of Marriage and Family, 69, 1162-1177.

6. Parental Employment 

Chatterji, P., Markowitz, S., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2013). Effects of early maternal employment on
maternal health and well-being. Journal of Population Economics, 26, 285-301.

Hetzner, N. M. P., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2012). Employment in low income families. In V. Maholmes, & R. B. King (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of poverty and child development. New York: Oxford University Press.

Brooks-Gunn, J., Han, W.-J., Waldfogel, J. (2010). First-year maternal employment and child development in the first seven years. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 75.

Berger, L., Brooks-Gunn, J., Paxson, C., & Waldfogel, J. (2008). First-Year maternal employment and child outcomes: Differences across racial and ethnic groups. Children and Youth Services Review, 30, 365-387.

7. Parenting Behavior and Family Environment                                                      

Brooks-Gunn, J., Schneider, W., & Waldfogel, J. (2013). The Great Recession and the risk for
child maltreatment. Child Abuse & Neglect.

MacKenzie, M.J., Nocklas, E., Waldfogel, J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (in press). Maternal and paternal spanking and child development across the first decade of life. Pediatrics.

Brady-Smith, C., Brooks-Gunn, J., Tamis-LeMonda, C. S., Ispa, J. M., Fuligni, A. S., Fine, M. (2013). Mothers’ interactions with infants: A person-oriented, within ethnic group approach. Parenting: Science and Practice. 13, 27-43.

Fuligni, A., Brooks-Gunn, J. (2013). Mother-child interactions in Early Head Start: Age and ethnic differences in low-income dyads. Parenting: Science and Practice, 13, 1-26.

Fuligni, A.,  Brady-Smith, B., Tamis-LeMonda, C., Bradley, R.H., Chazan-Cohen, R., Boyce, L., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2013). Patterns of supportive mothering with 1-, 2-, and 3-year-olds by ethnicity in Early Head Start. Parenting: Science and Practice, 13, 44-57.

MacKenzie, M. J., Nicklas, E., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Waldfogel, J. (2011). Who spanks infants and toddlers? Evidence from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 1364–1373.

Martin, A., Razza, R., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2011). Specifying the links between household chaos and preschool children’s development. Early Child Development and Care, 182, 1247-1263.

Brooks-Gunn, J., Johnson, A., & Leventhal, T. (2010). Disorder, turbulence, and resources in children’s homes and neighborhoods. In G. W. Evans, & T. D. Wachs (Eds.), Chaos and its influence on children's development: An ecological perspective (pp. 155-170). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Books.

Martin, A., Ryan, R. M., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2010). When fathers' supportiveness matters most: Maternal and paternal parenting and school readiness. Journal of Family Psychology, 24, 145-155.

Berlin, L. J., Ispa, J. M., Fine, M. A., Malone, P. S., Brooks-Gunn, J., Brady-Smith, C., Bai, Y. (2009). Correlates and consequences of spanking and verbal punishment for low-income White, African American, and Mexican American toddlers. Child Development, 80, 1403-1420.

Foster, H., Brady-Smith, C., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). Toward a stress process model of children's exposure to physical family and community violence. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 12, 71-94.

Johnson, A., Martin, A., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Petrill, S. (2008). Order in the house! Associations among household chaos, the home literacy environment, maternal reading ability, and children's early reading. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 54, 445-472.

Martin, A., Ryan, R. M., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2007). The joint influence of mother and father parenting on child cognitive outcomes at age 5. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 22, 423-439.

B. Early Education and Services

1. Community Service

Martin, A., Barajas, R. G., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2011). Parenting services may be an opportunity for improving bedtime routines among at-risk preschoolers. Behavioral Sleep Medicine,  9, 237-242. 

Klebanov, P. K., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2008). Differential exposure to early childhood education services and mother–toddler interaction. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 23, 213-232.

2. Early Childhood Education

Yoshikawa, H., Weiland, C., Brooks-Gunn, J., Burchinal, M., Espinosa, L., Gormley, W., Ludwig, J.O., Magnuson, K.A., Phillips, D.A., & Zaslow, M.J. (2013). Investing in our future: The evidence base for early childhood education. Policy brief, Society for Research in Child Development.

Zhai, F., Waldfogel, J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2013). Estimating the effects of Head Start on parenting and child maltreatment. Children and Youth Services Review, 35, 1119-1129.

Waldfogel, J., Lee, R., Han, W., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2013) Head Start and children’s nutrition, weight, and health care receipt. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 28, 723-733.

Lee, R., Zhai, F., Brooks-Gunn, J., Han, W.-J., & Waldfogel, J. (2013). Head Start participation and school readiness: evidence from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort. Developmental Psychology.

Zhai, F., Waldfogel, J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2013). Head Start, prekindergarten, and academic school readiness: A comparison among regions in the United States. Journal of Social Service Research, 39, 345-364.

McCormick, M., Wenyang, M., Buka, S., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Slaganik, M. (2012). Effect of early educational intervention on younger siblings: The Infant Health Development Program. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 66, 891-896.

Brooks-Gunn, J. (2011). Early childhood education: The likelihood of sustained effects. In E. Zigler,  W. S. Gilliam, W. S. Barnett (Eds.), The pre–K debates: Current controversies and issues (pp. 200-205). Baltimore, MD: Brookes Publishing.

Zhai, F., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Waldfogel, J. (2011). Head Start and urban children’s school readiness: A birth cohort study in 18 cities. Developmental Psychology, 47, 134–152.

Love, J. M., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2010). Getting the most out of Early Head Start: What has been accomplished and what needs to be done. In R. Haskins & W. S. Barnett (Eds.), Investing in young children: New directions in federal preschool and early childhood policy (pp. 29-37). Washington, DC: Brookings Institute.

Martin, A., Brooks-Gunn, J., Klebanov, P., Buka, S., & McCormack, M. (2008). Long-term maternal effects of early childhood intervention: Findings from the Infant Health Development Program (IHDP). Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 29, 101-117.

3. Child Care & Subsidies

Johnson, A., Martin, A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2013). Child-care subsidies and school readiness in kindergarten. Child Development, 84, 1806-1822

Johnson, A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2012). Child care and early education for low-income families: choices and consequences. In V. Maholmes, & R. B. King (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of poverty and child development. New York: Oxford University Press.

Holod, A., Johnson, A.D., Martin, A., Gardner, M., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2011). Contracts, vouchers, and child care subsidy stability: A preliminary look at associations between subsidy payment mechanism and stability of subsidy receipt. Child and Youth Care Forum, 40, 1-14.

Johnson, A. D., Martin, A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2011). Who uses child care subsidies? Comparing recipients to eligible non-recipients on family background characteristics and child care preferences. Children and Youth Services Review, 33, 1072-1083.

Ryan, R., Johnson, A., Rigby, E., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2011). The impact of child care subsidy use on child care quality. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 26, 320–331.

Burchinal, M., Nelson, L., Carlson, M., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2008). Neighborhood characteristics, and child care type and quality. Early Education and Development, 19, 702-725.

Rigby, E., Ryan, R., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2007). Childcare quality in different state policy contexts. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 26, 863-883.

III. Adolescence

A. Adolescent Development

1. Emotional Regulation & Attention

Mendle, J., Harden, K. P., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Graber, J. A. (2012). Peer relationships and depressive symptomatology in boys at puberty. Developmental Psychology, 48, 429-435. 

Mendle, J., Harden, K. P., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Graber, J. A. (2010). Development’s tortoise and hare: Pubertal timing, pubertal tempo, and depressive symptoms in boys and girls. Developmental Psychology, 46, 1341–1353.

Sontag, L. M., Graber, J., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Warren, M. P. (2008). Coping with social stress: Implications for psychopathology in young adolescent girls. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 36, 1159-1174.

Lynne, S. D., Graber, J. A., Nichols, T. R., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Botvin, G. J. (2007). Links between pubertal timing, peer influences, and externalizing behaviors among urban students followed through middle school. Journal of Adolescent Health, 40, 181e7-181e13.

2. Social Cognition & the Self (Puberty)

Graber, J. A., Nichols, T. R., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2010). Putting pubertal timing in developmental context: Implications for prevention. Developmental Psychobiology, 52, 254–262.

3. Biobehavioral Interactions

Saczawa, M.E., Graber, J.A., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Warren, M.P. (in press). Methodologial considerations in use of the cortisol/DHEA(S) radio in adolescent. Psychoneuroendocrinology.

Tyrka, A. R., Lee, J. K., Graber, J. A., Clement, A. M., Kelly, M. M., DeRose, L., Brooks-Gunn, J. (2012). Neuroendocrine predictors of emotional and behavioral adjustment in boys: Longitudinal follow-up of a community sample. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 37, 2042-2046.

Tyrka, A. R., Kelly, M. M., Graber, J. A., DeRose, L., Lee, J. K., Warren, M. P., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2010). Behavioral adjustment in a community sample of boys: Links with basal and stress-induced salivary cortisol concentrations. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 35, 1167-1177. 

4. Sexual Behavior

Mendle, J., Harden, K. P., Tuckheimer, E., Van Hulle, C., D'Onofrio, B., Brooks-Gunn, J., Lahey, B. B. (2009). Associations between father absence and age of first sexual intercourse. Child Development, 80, 1436-1480.

O’Sullivan, L. & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2007). “I wanna hold your hand”: The progression of romantic and sexual behaviors in adolescent relationships. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 39, 100-107.

5. Family & Neighborhood Poverty                                                                                     

Foster, H., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2012). Neighborhood, family and individual influences on school physical victimization. Journal of Youth and Adolescence,42, 1596-1610.

Gardner, M., Martin, A., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2012). Exploring the link between caregiver affect and adolescent sexual behavior: Does neighborhood disadvantage matter? Journal of Research on Adolescence, 22, 135-149.

Chen, J.J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2012). Neighborhoods, schools, and achievement. In K.R. Harris, S. Graham, T. Urdan, S. Graham, J.M. Royer, & M. Zeidner (eds.), APA educational psychology handbook, Vol. 2: Individual differences and cultural and contextual factors (pp. 337-360). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Leventhal, T., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2011). Changes in neighborhood poverty from 1990 to 2000 and youth’s problem behaviors. Developmental Psychology, 47, 1680-1698.

Gardner, M., Barajas, R. G., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2010). Neighborhood influences on substance use etiology: Is where you live important? In L. M. Scheier (Ed.), Handbook of drug use etiology: Theory, methods, and empirical findings (pp. 423-441). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association Books.

Maimon, D., Browning, C. R., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2010). Collective efficacy, family attachment, and urban adolescent suicide attempts. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 51, 307-324.

Browning, C. R., Burrington, L., Leventhal, T., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2008). Neighborhood structural inequality, collective efficacy, and sexual risk behavior among urban youth.  Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 49, 269-285.

B. Adolescent Interventions

1. Community & After School Programs

Roth, J. L., Malone, L. M., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2010). Does the amount of participation in afterschool programs relate to developmental outcomes? A review of the literature. American Journal of Community Psychology, 45, 310–324.

Gardner, M., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). Adolescents’ exposure to community violence: Are neighborhood youth organizations protective? Journal of Community Psychology, 37, 505-525.

Gardner, M., Roth, J. L., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). Sports participation and juvenile delinquency: The role of the peer context among adolescent boys and girls with varied histories of problem behavior. Developmental Psychology, 45, 341-353.

Linver, M. R., Roth, J. L., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2009). Patterns of adolescents’ participation in organized activities: Are sports best when combined with other activities? Developmental Psychology, 45, 354–367.        

Gardner, M., Roth, J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2008). Adolescents' participation in organized activities and developmental success two and eight years after high school: Do sponsorship, duration, and intensity matter? Developmental Psychology, 44, 814-830.

Fauth, R. C., Roth, J. L., Brooks-Gunn, J. (2007). Does the neighborhood context alter the link between youth's after-school time activities and developmental outcomes? A multilevel analysis. Developmental Psychology, 43, 760-777.

2. Refusal Skills

Nichols, T. R., Birnel, S., Graber, J. A., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Botvin, G. J. (2010). Refusal skill ability: An examination of adolescent perceptions of effectiveness. Journal of Primary Prevention, 31, 127–137.

3. Housing & Neighborhoods

Riina, E., Martin, A., Gardner, M., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2013). Context matters: Links between location of discrimination, neighborhood cohesion and African American adolescents? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42, 136-146. PMC3526675

Fauth, R. C., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2008). Are some neighborhoods better for child health than others? In R. F. Schoeni, J. S. House, G.A. Kaplan, & H. Pollack (Eds.), Making Americans healthier: Social and economic policy as health policy (pp. 334 – 376). New York: Russell Sage.

Fauth, R. C., Leventhal, T., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2008). Seven years later: Effects of a neighborhood mobility program on poor Black and Latino adults’ well-being. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 49, 119–130. 

Fauth, R., Leventhal, T., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2007). Welcome to the neighborhood? Long-term impacts on moving to low-poverty neighborhoods on poor children's and adolescents' outcomes. Journal of Research on Adolescence ,17, 249–284.

IV. Adulthood

A. Adult Development

1. Long reach of childhood

Foster, H., Hagan, J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2008). Growing up fast: Stress exposure and subjective 'weathering' in emerging adulthood. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 49, 162-177.

Nomura, Y., Rajendran, K., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Newcorn, J. H. (2008). Roles of perinatal problems on adolescent antisocial behaviors among children born after 33 completed weeks: A prospective investigation. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49, 1108-1117.

Nomura, Y., Brooks-Gunn, J., Davey, C., Ham, J., & Fifer, W. P. (2007). The role of perinatal problems for risk of co-morbid psychiatric and medical disorders in adulthood. Psychological Medicine, 37, 1323-1334.

Nomura, Y., Wickramaratne, P. J., Pilowskyb, D. J., Newcorn, J. H., Bruder, B., Davey, C., Weissman, M. M. (2007). Low birth weight and risk of affective disorders and selected medical illness in offspring at high and low risk for depression. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 48, 470-478.

  • Elected fellow of the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Political and Social Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the American Educational Research Association
  • 2018 Committee on Socioeconomic Status (CSES) Award for Distinguished Leadership in Psychology from the American Psychological Association
  • 2015 Matilda White Riley Award, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) at the National Institutes of Health
  • 2013 Alumni Council Award for Outstanding Contribution to Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education
  • 2011 Election, National Academy of Education
  • 2010 Fellow, American Educational research Association
  • 2009 Election, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies
  • 2009 Honorary Doctorate of Science, Northwestern University
  • 2005 Distinguished Contributions to the Public Policy for Children Award from the Society for Research in Child Development
  • 2004 Margaret Mead Fellow Award for contributions made to the progress of social sciences from the American Academy of Political Science
  • 2003 Rosabeth Moss Kanter Award Excellence for Work-Family Research, semi-finalist for the best article in 2002 (top 20 out of 2000 articles). (Waldfogel, Han and Brooks-Gunn, Demography), from the Center for Families at Purdue University and the Boston College Center for Work and Family
  • 2003 The award for best scholarly contribution in 2002 (Brooks-Gunn, Waldfogel and Han, Child Development, 2003), from the Society for Social Work Research
  • 2002 Raymond Vernon Prize for an outstanding contribution to the Journal of Policy Analysi and Management (Hill, Waldfogel, and Brooks-Gunn in Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 2002), from the Research for Policy Analysis and Management
  • 2002 James McKeen Cattell Fellow Award from the American Psychological Society
  • 2002 Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy Award from the American Psychological Association
  • 2001 Urie Bronfenbrenner Award for life-time contribution to developmental psychology in the areas of science and society, from the Division of Developmental Psychology of the American Psychological Association
  • 2000 Supporting Fatherhood Leadership Award, for sustained commitment to improving the Early Head Start Program through a better understanding of the roles of fathers in children's lives from the Department of Health and Human Services
  • 2000 W.T. Grant Lectureship of the American Psychosomatic Society
  • 1999 Gallagher Lectureship of the Society for Adolescent Medicine
  • 1998 Hammer Award, Vice President Gore's National Performance Review Award for participation in the Fatherhood Initiative, sponsored by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics and National Institute for Child Health and Human Development
  • 1997 Nicholas Hobbs Award, for policy research on children, from the Division of Children, Youth, and Families, of the American Psychological Association
  • 1996 John P. Hill Award, for excellence in theory development and research on adolescents, from the Society for Research on Adolescence
  • 1988 William Goode Book Award from the American Sociological Association. (Furstenberg, Brooks-Gunn and Morgan, 1987)
  • Child and Family Policy
  • Early Childhood Development and Education (co-taught with Dr. Sharon Lynn Kagan)
  • Poverty, Inequality, and Child Development 
  • Research Work Practicum: Maternal Description of Child (MDoC) 
  • Seminar on Life Course Development (Masters Level) 
  • Seminar on Life Course Development (Doctoral Level) 

I am the Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Child Development and Education at Teachers College and the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University, and I co-direct the National Center for Children and Families (www.policyforchildren.org). I am interested in factors that contribute to both positive and negative outcomes across childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, with a particular focus on key social and biological transitions over the life course. For this proposal, I will take the lead on conceptualizing the home environment, with a special focus on neglect and violence. I have had extensive experience studying the home environment, including work on violence (towards the child by mother and father, within couples, and within the household) and on lack of enriching experiences. I was the PI on an NICHD-funded award to assess the predictors and consequences of family violence using data from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, and the co-PI of a substudy of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study devoted in part to parental abuse and neglect. Recent work has focused on spanking.

Doris Duke Charitable Foundation – Support for Child and Family Well-Being: A Randomized Experiment of Subsidized Housing in New York City

Foundation for Child Development – UPK Implementation in New York City: Variation by Setting and Auspice

MacArthur Foundation – Housing and Neighborhood Study (HANS)

National Institutes of Health – Mothers’ Gains in Postsecondary Education and Children’s Development

Rauch Foundation – Post-doctoral Fellowships in Early Childhood

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, subaward from Columbia School of Social Work – Comprehensive Early Childhood Parenting Supports and Children’s Health Benefits

Room to Grow National, Inc. – Room to Grow: Enhancing Capacity for Internal Evaluation

U.S. Health Department of Health and Human Services, subaward from MDRC – Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation & Building Bridges and Bonds

The V & L Marx Foundation – Pre-doctoral Fellowships; Early Childhood Policy Course; Media Communications Plan; Mini-Summit; Outreach Specialist; Association Memberships; Conference Participations; and Operations

William T. Grant Foundation, subaward from New York University – Subsidized Housing and Children’s School Outcomes: Evidence from Housing Lotteries


Building Bridges and Bonds (B3) – This new project, a collaborative effort with MDRC, evaluates the effectiveness of six programs that support fathers' engagement with their children, their effective parenting/co-parenting, their ability to financially support themselves and their families, and their effectiveness in sustaining positive intimate relationships.

Examining the Impact of Rental Assistance Demonstration on Children Living in Public Housing Communities – This research effort, a collaboration with the Columbia University School of Public Health, examines the effect of a Rental Assistance Demonstration project in Fresno, California on parents and children, specifically addressing how it affects the educational outcomes of children, how the effects on children vary by changes in housing quality and stability, and how the role of resident participation impacts child outcomes.

Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study – This endeavor addresses three topics – non-marital childbearing, welfare reform, and the role of fathers – and combines them in an innovative, integrated framework. The study is following a cohort of nearly 5,000 children born in large U.S. cities between 1998 and 2000 (roughly three-quarters of whom were born to unmarried parents) from birth through the adolescent years (i.e., at birth, 1yo, 3yo, 5yo, 9yo, and 15yo). The study is a collaboration with the Columbia School of Social Work, Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, and Princeton University’s Office of Population Research.

Mother and Infant Home Visiting Program Evaluation – This study, a collaboration with MDRC and Mathematica Policy Research (MPR), examines the effects of home visiting programs nationwide using random assignment to approved model programs. Home visiting programs operate around the country to prevent child maltreatment, improve maternal and child health outcomes, and increase school readiness.

Mothers’ Gains in Postsecondary Education and Children’s Development – This project, a collaboration with Northwestern University, examines the short- and long-term effects of gains made in mothers’ post-secondary education during their children’s first five years on children’s short- (age 7) and long-term (age 13) academic and socioemotional outcomes.

Room to Grow: Comprehensive Early Childhood Parenting Supports and Children’s Health and Development – This project examines an innovative early childhood program that combines income supports, parenting education, and connections to community services to promote the early health and development of young children. It is a collaborative effort with the Columbia School of Social Work and Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health.

 Subsidized Housing and Children’s School Outcomes: Evidence from Housing Lotteries – This research study, a joint effort with the City of New York, studies how moving into newly constructed, place-based subsidized housing affects the educational experiences and outcomes of near-poor children. The project leverages an ongoing experimental study of several thousand families with children in New York City who applied for affordable housing at ten newly constructed rental developments.

Support for Child and Family Well-Being: A Randomized Experiment of Subsidized Housing in New York City – This project, a mixed-methods analysis, supports the addition of new families with children to the sampling frame for the NYC Housing and Neighborhood Study. This ongoing evaluation project examines associations between residential context, child development and health, and adult health and behavior. It is a joint effort with the City of New York that establishes a child care module to the follow-up interview for parents of children under age 8.

UPK Implementation in New York City: Variation by Setting and Auspice – This research study, a joint effort with the Foundation for Child Development and the City of New York, examines the implementation of Mayor De Blasio's universal prekindergarten effort, with the goal of discerning differences between programs that function under the auspices of the Board of Education or the Administration for Children’s Services. The results from this study will be used to inform the development of the next set of city policies for young children and their families.

  • American Academy of Political and Social Science, Fellow
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science, Fellow
  • American Education Research Association, Fellow
  • American Psychological Association, Fellow in Division 1, 7, 35, and 37
  • American Psychological Society, Fellow
  • New York Academy of Sciences, Fellow
  • Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology
  • Society for Prevention Research
  • Society for Research in Child Development
  • Society for Research in Adolescence
  • Society for Behavioral Pediatrics
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