Dr. Debrah Pepler
Interim Director
Professor Debra Pepler is a distinguised researcher and her research has changed the way we think about bullying, aggression and other forms of violence, especially among marginalized and alienated young people. She speaks widely to professional and community audiences about children at risk. Dr. Pepler has a strong publication record and has edited four volumes in the past four years on understanding and addressing children’s aggression, bullying, and victimization.
Professor Debra Pepler has been a member of the Department of Psychology at York since 1988. She was the Director of the LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution from 1994 to 2002. Dr. Pepler has been a Senior Associate Scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children since 2001. She received her PhD in 1979 from the University of Waterloo and is a Registered Psychologist in the Province of Ontario. She has co-authored four books, dozens of referred journal articles, book chapters, reviews and government reports. She has been the primary supervisor of 29 graduate PhD students. Dr. Pepler has served on the Ontario Minister of Education’s Safe Schools Action Team since 2004. She also serves on several other advisory committees related to parenting, antisocial behaviour, and school violence.
Professor Pepler was awarded a Network of Centres of Excellence: New Initiatives grant to establish PREVNet – Promoting Relationships and Eliminating Violence Network, together with Dr. Wendy Craig, her first York Ph.D. student. This is a collaborative and interdisciplinary initiative that brings together 62researchers from 27 Canadian universities and 49 national organizations. The grant, the first stage of Canada’s largest funding mechanism, is the culmination of many years of work for Professor Pepler, who has been tirelessly involved in community-based research and public policy development on pressing social issues related to children and youth.
Dr. Pepler has conducted two major research programs on children at risk within the context of peer relationships at school and in context of the family. To study aggression and bullying, Dr. Pepler developed an innovative methodology to observe children’s interactions which would normally be hidden from adults. Dr. Pepler has been honoured for this research with the Contribution to Knowledge Award from the Psychology Foundation of Canada, the Educator of the Year Award from Phi Delta Kappa (Toronto), theUniversity of Waterloo Arts in Academia Award, and the Canadian Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Contributions to Public or Community Service.
Ushieja De Zoysa
Interim Coordinator