Paula J. Fite, Ph.D.
- Chair of the Department of Clinical Child Psychology
- Professor
Contact Info
1000 Sunnyside Avenue
Lawrence, KS 66045
Personal Links
Biography —
**Dr Fite will not be admitting students in the 2025 cohort.
Dr. Fite received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo in 2007. Following an APA-approved Clinical Residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, she joined the faculty of the University of Tennessee. She joined the faculty of the University of Kansas in 2011, and is currently Department Chair and a Professor of Clinical Child Psychology. Dr. Fite is the author or co-author of more than 200 empirical papers and chapters in her area of study. She is on the editorial board of Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology and the Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment. She is an Associate Editor for Child and Youth Care Forum. Fite is the current President for the Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice (Division 37 of APA). She served as Member at Large for Early Career Psychologists from 2014 through 2016 and Treasurer from 2018 through 2020 for the Society. She is an American Psychological Association Fellow (since 2015), and she holds the title of Dean's Professor (since 2018).
Research —
The lab's programmatic line of research focuses on developmental models of risk for child and adolescent problem behavior. That is, we are interested in the etiology and developmental progression of child and adolescent problem behavior - aggression, delinquency and substance use in particular. Consistent with social learning theory, which posits that behavior is learned and further exacerbated through socialization processes (i.e., modeling, conditioning, and reinforcement), our research has and will continue to examine the unique and interactive impact of environmental context (e.g., neighborhood, parents, and peers) and child characteristics (e.g., genetics, temperament) on the developmental progression of child and adolescent problem behavior.
Research interests:
- aggression
- delinquency
- substance use
Teaching —
Dr. Fite teaches courses and mentors students in the Department of Clinical Child Psychology at the University of Kansas. Potential students interested in the development of aggression, peer victimization, delinquency, substance use and other problem behaviors are encouraged to apply.
Teaching interests:
- antisocial youth
- developmental psychology
- intellectual assessment and academic achievement
Selected Publications —
Fite, P. J. & *Hesse, D. (2024). Links between Alcohol Use With and/or Without Parental Permission and Other Substance Use. Journal of Substance Use, 29, 423-425.
Fite, P. J., Diaz, K., & *Baca, S. (2023). Peer Victimization and Risk for Specific Charges among Detained Youth. Child and Youth Care Forum, 52, 985-995.
Fite, P. J., *Baca, S., *Gomez, C., *Griffith, R., & Gudiño, O. (2023). Attitudes Toward Mental Health Services among Detained Adolescents: The Role of CU traits. Residential Treatment for Children and Youth, 40,156-172.
Fite, P. J., Cooley, J. L., *Diaz, K., *Singh, M., *Zax, A. (2023). Impact of sibling victimization on child internalizing symptoms. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 54, 750-757.
Fite, P. J., Cooley, J., *Ryder, A., Ricker, B., *Hichborn, E., & Okeh, O. (2023). Bidirectional Links between Coping Strategies and Sibling and Peer Victimization Among Elementary School-Age Youth. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 45, 415-427.