Alyssa N. Garcia

Alyssa N. Garcia (she/her) is a PhD student in the Human Development and Family Sciences doctoral program at the University of Arizona. Her research focuses on gender-based violence in youth, examining violent attitudes and behavioral endorsement from a developmental perspective. Guided by an intersectional framework, her work aims to understand the role of sociohistorical racism, systemic inequities, and the experiences of marginalized communities in shaping self- and other-directed harm. Her collaborative work has highlighted the role of gender role attitudes on intimate partner violence (IPV), underscoring the need for culturally responsive prevention efforts for Latinx adolescents. Alyssa is currently examining protective factors for LGBTQ+ youth, including how pronoun affirmation across social contexts can protect against suicide thoughts and behaviors among trans and nonbinary youth. She is also interested in the contagion effect in online spaces, particularly how extreme ideological belief systems might manifest, spread, and contribute to targeted acts of violence against communities. Her research emphasizes psychometric analyses, providing meaningful insights to intervention and prevention programs. She holds an MA in Psychological Research and a BA in Psychology from Texas State University.