As a researcher in the field of child development, my aim is to contribute to the healthy development of children and adolescents and to create a positive living and learning environment for them. I work towards a 'kinder' world for youths to grow up in, online and offline.
In doing so, I place great importance on collaborating with children and adolescents, not only focusing on the individual, but also considering crucial environmental factors (such as classroom norms, the influence of social media, and the [evolutionary] function of behaviors within groups).
My specialization lies in the field of bullying in (secondary) schools. Here too, I explore the function of bullying behavior: what are important affordances, how does it impact the motivation to bully, and can we use this knowledge to reduce such behavior? In my research, I also focus on anti-bullying interventions and examine whether specific components of interventions (do not) work well for particular subgroups of youths. It is vital to take individual differences into account, as one size does not fit all.
In my work, I utilize various research methods. For instance, I integrate existing knowledge (systematic reviews, meta-analyses, individual participant data-meta-analysis), test new hypotheses (experimental paradigms, micro-trials), and gain valuable, in-depth insights from children and adolescents themselves (focus groups, content-analyses).
Expertise and research fields (Keywords)
- Goals and Gains of Bullying
- Anti-Bullying Interventions
- Adolescent Development
- Self-Regulation
- Harmful Social Behaviors
- Social Media (Influences)
Hensums, M., van den Bos, W., Overbeek, G., & Larsen, H. (2024). YouTube vloggers set the stage: How public (non)compliance with COVID-19 regulations affects adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 96(3), 429-442.