James Garbarino received his PhD in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University in 1973. He is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Cornell University and at Loyola University Chicago. From 2006-2020, he held the Maude C. Clarke Chair in Humanistic Psychology and was founding Director of the Center for the Human Rights of Children at Loyola University Chicago. From 1995-2006, he was Elizabeth Lee Vincent Professor of Human Development and Co-Director of the Family Life Development Center at Cornell University. He earned his B.A. from St. Lawrence University in 1968. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Garbarino has served as consultant or advisor to a wide range of organizations, including the National Committee to Prevent Child Abuse, the National Institute for Mental Health, the American Medical Association, the National Black Child Development Institute, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, and the FBI. In 1991, he undertook missions for UNICEF to assess the impact of the Gulf War upon children in Kuwait and Iraq, and advises programs dealing with literacy as a resource in dealing with trauma in El Salvador and India.

Among the books he has authored or edited are: "Listening to Killers: Lessons Learned from My 20 Years as a Psychological Expert Witness in Murder Cases" (2015), "Miller’s Children: Why Giving Teenage Killers a Second Chance Matters for All of Us" (2018), "Children and the Dark Side of Human Experience" (2008), "See Jane Hit: Why Girls Are Growing More Violent and What We Can Do About It" (2006). "And Words Can Hurt Forever: How to Protect Adolescents from Bullying, Harassment, and Emotional Violence" (2002); "Parents Under Siege: Why You Are the Solution, Not the Problem, in Your Child’s Life" (2001); "Lost Boys: Why Our Sons Turn Violent and How We Can Save Them" (1999); "Raising Children in a Socially Toxic Environment" (1995); "Let's Talk About Living in a World with Violence" (1993); "Children in Danger: Coping With The Consequences of Community Violence" (1992); "Children and Families in the Social Environment, Second edition" (1992); "What Children Can Tell Us" (1989); "No Place To Be A Child: Growing Up In A War Zone" (1991); "Psychologically Battered Child" (1986); "Troubled Youth, Troubled Families" (1986); "Adolescent Development: An Ecological Perspective" (1985); "Social Support Networks" (1983); "Successful Schools and Competent Students" (1981); "Understanding Abusive Families" (1980; Second Edition, 1997); and "Protecting Children from Abuse and Neglect" (1980).

Dr. Garbarino serves as a consultant for media reports on children and families. In 1981, he received the Silver Award at the International Film and Television Festival of New York for co-authoring "Don't Get Stuck There: A Film on Adolescent Abuse." In 1985, he collaborated with John Merrow to produce "Assault on the Psyche," a program dealing with psychological abuse. Since 1994, he has served as a scientific expert witness in criminal cases involving issues of violence and children.

The National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect honored Dr. Garbarino in 1985 with its first C. Henry Kempe Award, in recognition of his efforts on behalf of abused and neglected children. In 1979, and again in 1981, he received the Mitchell Prize from the Woodlands Conference on Sustainable Societies. In 1987, he was elected President of the American Psychological Association's Division on Child, Youth and Family Services. In 1988, he received the American Humane Association's Vincent De Francis Award for nationally significant contributions to child protection. In 1989, he received the American Psychological Association's Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Public Service, and in 1992, the Society for Psychological Study of Social Issues prize for research on child abuse. In 1993, he received the Brandt F. Steele Award from the Kempe National Center on Child Abuse and Neglect, and in 1994 the American Psychological Association's Division on Child, Youth and Family Services’ Nicholas Hobbs Award. Also in 1994, he received the Dale Richmond Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Behavioral and Developmental Pediatrics. In 1995, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters by St. Lawrence University. In 1999, he received the Humanitarian Award from the University of Missouri’s International Center for Psychosocial Trauma. In 2000, he received the President’s Celebrating Success Award from the National Association of School Psychologists, and in 2003 the Outstanding Service to Children Award of the Chicago Association for the Education of Young Children.

In 2011, he received the Max Hayman Award from the American Orthopsychiatric Association for contributions to the prevention of genocide. In 2015, he received the Rosenberry Award from Colorado Children’s Hospital in Denver, for his work in advancing clinical insight into children and youth. In 2016, he received the Paul Fink Interpersonal Violence Prevention Award from the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence. In 2018, he was cited by the American Psychological Association as one of 33 “Influential Psychologists” for his work on trauma.

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