PhD, Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, The University of British Columbia

MA, Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special Education, The University of British Columbia

BA Psychology, The University of Alberta

I found my home at Laurier Brantford in 2012 and am very excited to be part of the growth and development of this vibrant, interdisciplinary and collaborative community. I spent most of my childhood and early adulthood in and around Edmonton, Alberta, where I completed my undergraduate education at the University of Alberta. In 2002, I made my way to beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia where I spent 10 years completing my graduate degrees (MA and PhD) and my post-doctoral work. 

I take an interdisciplinary approach to the study of children and youth. Broadly, I am interested in studying how children, adolescents, and young adults develop cognitively and socio-emotionally as they interact and socialize using various technologies.

With this in mind, my primary area of research focus has been in the area of online aggression, associated mental health concerns, responsible Internet use, and creating caring communities. Key to my research, teaching and learning philosophies is my desire to connect academia with the community.

In this vein, I strive to ensure my research informs the work I do with the community, while simultaneously allowing my work with the community to inform my research and teaching.

• Wilfrid Laurier Early Career Award for Teaching Excellence
• Wilfrid Laurier Merit Increment (2017-2018)
• Wilfrid Laurier Merit Increment (2015-2016)
• Wilfrid Laurier Merit Award (2012-2013)

The best part of my job is interacting with students and helping them to reach their desired goals. To successfully provide opportunities for growth, I have developed the Child and Adolescent Research and Education (CARE) Lab. Through CARE, students have the opportunity to participate in research projects, attend conferences, learn about different theories and research methods, and/or give talks and presentations to children, youth and the community. 

I am also available for thesis/dissertation supervision and welcome students who are willing to explore the social and emotional development of children, youth and emerging adults as part of their graduate work.

Domene, J.F., Arim, R.G., Law, D.M. (2017) Change in depressive symptoms through Emerging Adulthood: Disentangling the roles of employment status and employment satisfaction.  Emerging Adulthood. DOI: 10.1177/2167696817700262.

Gagne, M.H., Shapka, J.D., & Law, D.M. (2014). Moving beyond grades: the social and emotional well-being of Chinese Canadians at school. Asian and Pacific Islander American Psychology, 5, 373-382.

Shapka, J.D., & Law, D.M. (2013). Does one size fit all? Ethnic differences in parenting behaviours and motivations for adolescent engagement in Cyberbullying. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42, 723-738.

Law, D. M., Shapka, J.D. & Domené, J.F., Monique, H. Gagné (2012). Are cyberbullies really bullies? An investigation of reactive and proactive online aggression. Computers in Human Behavior, 28, 2, 664-672.

Law, D. M., Shapka, J.D., Hymel, S., & Olson, B.F. Waterhouse, T. (2012). The Changing Face of Bullying: An Empirical Comparison Between Traditional and Internet Bullying and Victimization. Computers in Human Behavior. 28, 226-232.

Gagné, M., Shapka, J., & Law, D. (2012). The impact of social contexts in schools: Adolescents who are new to Canada and their sense of belonging. In C. Garcia Coll (Ed.), The impact of immigration on children’s development. Basel, Switzerland: Karger Publishers, pp. 17-34.

Law, D.M., Shapka, J.D., & Olson, B.F. (2010). To Control or Not to Control? Parenting Behaviours and Adolescent Online Aggression. Computer in Human Behaviour, 26, 1651-1656.

Ercikan, K., Arim, R. G., Law, D. M., Lacroix, S., Gagnon, F., & Domené, J. F. (2009). Application of think aloud protocols for examining and confirming sources of differential item functioning identified by expert reviews. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice. (38 pages).

Shapka, J.D., Law, D. M., & VanWynsberghe, R. (2008). Quest for communicating sustainability: Gb-Quest as a learning tool for effecting conceptual change. Local Environment, 13, 107-127.

Varnhagen, C.K., Gushta, M., Daniels, J., Peters, T.C., Parmar, N., Law, D. M., Hirsch, R., Sadler Takach, B., & Johnson, T. (2005). How informed is informed consent? Ethics and Behavior, 15, 37-48.

• Special Initiative Fund (2016)

• Special Initiatives Fund (2015)

• Special Initiatives Fund ( 2015-2016)

• Short-term Research Grant (2013-2015)

• Social Sciences and Humanities Council (SSHRC) Insight Development Grant (2013-2017)

• Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) Operating Grant (2013-2016)

• Short Term Research Grant (2013-2015)

• Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) Operating Grant (2013-2018)