Juan Del Toro

Research Associate, Dr. Wang

Research Interests

I am currently a Research Associate at the Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC) at the University of Pittsburgh. I recently completed my Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at New York University. My research program examines the short- and long-term consequences associated with specific perpetrators of racial discrimination across the life span from childhood to adulthood. Specifically, I take a multi-method, multidisciplinary, and collaborative approach to investigate: (1) why distinguishing between perpetrators of racial discrimination matters for child development, (2) what are the direct and intergenerational consequences of involvement in the criminal justice system, and (3) what are opportunities that peers, educators, and families can leverage to reduce the negative effects of unwarranted involvement in the criminal justice system on children’s developmental competencies.

Recent Publications

Del Toro, J., Jackson, D. B., Testa, A., & Wang, M.-T. (2023). The spillover effects of classmates’ police intrusion on adolescents’ school-based defiant behaviors: the mediating role of institutional trust. American Psychologist. Advance online publication.

Del Toro, J., Fine, A., & Wang, M.T. (2022). The intergenerational effects of paternal incarceration on children’s social and psychological well-being from early childhood to adolescence. Development and Psychopathology, 1-12. doi:10.1017/S0954579421001693

Del Toro, J., Jackson, D. B., & Wang, M.-T. (2022). The policing paradox: Police stops predict youth’s school disengagement via elevated psychological distress. Developmental Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001361

Wang, M.-T., Scanlon, C. L., Hua, Meng., Zhang, A., Belmont, A., & Del Toro, J. (2022).Social distancing and adolescent affect: The protective role of practical knowledge and exercise. Academic Pediatrics, 22, 401-412.

Wang, M., Del Toro, J., Henry, D., Scanlon, C., & Schall, J. (2022). Family resilience during the COVID-19 onset: A daily-diary inquiry into parental employment status, parent–adolescent relationships, and well-being. Development and Psychopathology, 1-13. 

Juan Del Toro's Google Scholar profile

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