Danielle M. Law

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.

Specifically, my primary area of research foci include:

• Social-emotional learning,
• Social relationships,
• Online aggression & associated mental health concerns,
• Internet socialization
• Mindfulness and Compassion

• Wilfrid Laurier Residence Mentor Award (2021-2022)
• Wilfrid Laurier Early Career Award for Teaching Excellence (2018)
• 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 work with a team of high school, undergraduate, and graduate students and:

• Participate in and learn more about research,
• Help share findings with the community through social media, workshops, and presentations
• Support the community with outreach project

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.

Law, D.M., Xiao, B., Onditi, H., Liu, J., Xie, X., & Shapka, J.D. (2022). Measurement Invariance and Relationships Among School Connectedness, Cyberbullying, and Cybervictimization: A Comparison Among Canadian, Chinese, and Tanzanian Adolescents. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment 

Onditi, H., Law, D.M., & Shapka, J.D. (accepted, 2022).  Relationship among parenting, self-perceptions, peer influence, and cyberbullying behaviours among Tanzanian adolescents.  The African Journal of Information Systems. 

Law, D.M., Shapka, J.D., & Collie, R. (2019).  Who might flourish and who might languish?  Adolescent social and mental health profiles and their online experiences and behavior. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies; 1-11.

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.

I teach in Youth and Children's Studies (YC) and Psychology (PS).  My regular course load includes:

YC300: Youth and Children and Community Service Learning

PS275: Developmental Psychology - Infancy to Middle Childhood

PS276: Developmental Psychology - Adolescence to Early Adulthood

• Social Sciences and Humanities Council (SSHRC) Partnership Engage Grant (2021-2023)

• Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) Operating Grant (2019-2023)

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

• Social Sciences and Humanities Council (SSHRC) Insight Grant (2013-2018)

• 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)