Allison Kurpiel

Allison Kurpiel
Graduate Student of Criminology

Curriculum Vitae

Professional Bio

Allison Kurpiel is a PhD Candidate at the Pennsylvania State University in the department of sociology and criminology. Her primary area of research focuses on the experiences of youth who have been victimized, as well as youth who have been exposed to crime and violence in their school, home, or community. Specifically, her research to-date has examined racial and ethnic differences in fear of violence among youth and assessed the extent to which these fear differentials are mediated by school factors. Her dissertation investigates the risk factors and consequences of biased victimization (or victimization perpetrated on the basis of prejudice against the race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or religion of the victim) among youth in the school setting. Another project examines justice system involvement among youth with child welfare system exposure. Underlying all these projects is an interest in assessing the role of institutions (e.g., schools, juvenile and criminal justice systems) in maintaining or perpetuating social inequalities. Her research and teaching interests include juvenile violence and victimization, juvenile justice/courts, school crime, fear of crime, hate crime/biased bullying, and adolescent health. Prior to beginning her PhD program, Allison earned a B.A. from the University of Vermont in political science with a minor in economics. She has also taught English as a second language to students of various ages living in Thailand and China and is passionate about globalizing her teaching curriculum.