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Joy D. Osofsky is a clinical and
developmental psychologist Developmental psychology is the science, scientific study of how and why humans grow, change, and adapt across the course of their lives. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to include adolescence, adult deve ...
, known for her research on infant mental health, how parents
nurture Nurture is usually defined as the process of caring for an organism, as it grows, usually a human. It is often used in debates as the opposite of "nature", whereby nurture means the process of replicating learned cultural information from one min ...
their infants and children, and the repercussions that follow exposure to traumatic events and violence. Some of her notable work has examined the aftereffects of
Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a powerful, devastating and historic tropical cyclone that caused 1,392 fatalities and damages estimated at $125 billion in late August 2005, particularly in the city of New Orleans and its surrounding area. ...
, experiences of children raised in broken households, and the impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
on communities. Osofsky is employed as a Professor of Pediatrics, Psychiatry, and Public Health at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, and she is Head of the Division of Pediatric Mental Health at the Louisiana State University School of Medicine. Osofsky holds the Barbara Lemann Professorship of Child Welfare at LSU Health New Orleans.


Biography

Joy Victoria Doniger was born into an American-Jewish family and attended
Rye Country Day School Rye Country Day School, also known as Rye Country Day or RCDS, is an independent, co-educational college preparatory school located in Rye, New York. Its Upper School (grades 9–12), Middle School (5–8), and Lower School (Pre-Kindergarten-4) ...
. Doniger developed interest in studying psychology at the age of 16, following her father's death from a heart attack. Doniger married Howard Osofsky on September 1, 1963, in
Syracuse, New York Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. With a population of 148,620 and a Syracuse metropolitan area, metropolitan area of 662,057, it is the fifth-most populated city and 13 ...
. Osofsky currently has three children, Hari, Justin, and Michael. Osofsky attended
Simmons College Institutions of learning called Simmons College or Simmons University include: * Simmons University Simmons University (previously Simmons College) is a private university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was established in 1899 by ...
for one year before transferring to
Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
, where her husband was working at the time. Osofsky received her
B.A. A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree ...
degree in Psychology ''cum laude'' at Syracuse University in August 1966. She then received her
M.A. A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...
in June 1967, and her PhD in June 1969, both in Psychology at Syracuse University. During the 1960s, as one of few women at Syracuse University, Osofsky stood up for individual rights and equality for women and was involved in
civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' political freedom, freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and ...
and
anti-war An anti-war movement is a social movement in opposition to one or more nations' decision to start or carry on an armed conflict. The term ''anti-war'' can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conf ...
movements. Osofsky interned in Clinical Psychology at Children's Hospital Medical Center and at Judge Baker Guidance Center at
Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the Un ...
from August 1975 to July 1976. She was a
Postdoctoral Fellow A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD). Postdocs most commonly, but not always, have a temporary academ ...
in Clinical Psychology at the
Menninger Foundation The Menninger Foundation was founded in 1919 by the Menninger family in Topeka, Kansas. The Menninger Foundation, known locally as Menninger's, consists of a clinic, a sanatorium, and a school of psychiatry, all of which bear the Menninger name ...
from July 1976 to August 1978. She completed psychoanalytic training at the Topeka Institute for Psychoanalysis in July 1985. Osofsky joined the National Register of Health Service Providers in 1979 and was professionally certified as a clinical psychologist in the State of Louisiana in 1987. Osofsky is a former president and current board member of the Zero to Three organization. Following Hurricane Katrina, Osofsky was the Clinical Director of Louisiana Spirit's Child and Adolescent Initiatives. In addition to her work in disaster recuperation, she has worked with children, families, and law enforcement to address community violence.


Awards

* Harris Award, Chicago Institute for Psychoanalysis (1989-1990) * Pfizer Award for Excellence in Research, Education, and Patient Care, Louisiana State University Medical Center (1997) * Badge of Honor Award, New Orleans Police Foundation (1998) * Best Social Science Reference Text, American Publishers Association (2000) * Role Model Distinction Award, Young Leadership Council (2001) * Medal of Honor, Mayor of New Orleans (2002) * Nicholas Hobbs Award,
American Psychological Association The American Psychological Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychologists in the United States, and the largest psychological association in the world. It has over 170,000 members, including scientists, educators, clin ...
Division 37 (2002) * Outstanding Service Award, Family Services of New Orleans (2007) * Sarah Haley Award for Clinical Excellence,
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies is a professional association established on March 2, 1985, in Washington, D.C. It aims to disseminate the state of the science as it pertains to the effects of trauma. History The organizati ...
(2007) * Distinguished Partners in Education Award, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education of the
Louisiana Department of Education Louisiana Department of Education (LADOE) is a state agency of Louisiana, United States. It manages the state's school districts. It is headquartered in the Claiborne Building at 1201 North 3rd Street in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. On a pr ...
(2009) * Honorary President Distinction, World Association for Infant Mental Health (2010) * Presidential Commendation,
American Psychiatric Association The American Psychiatric Association (APA) is the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the largest psychiatric organization in the world. It has more than 39,200 members who are in ...
(2010) * Reginald Lourie Award (2014) * Lifetime Achievement Award, Zero to Three (2021)


Research

Osofsky's work focuses on the long-term physical, mental, and emotional well-being of children in society, coping methods, and recovery from traumatic events. Osofsky has examined the negative consequences of experiencing violent events within the home or neighborhood setting, where ideally children should feel secure and loved. Osofsky's research indicates growing up in a violent environment may contribute to delays in
developmental milestone Child development stages are the theoretical milestones of child development, some of which are asserted in nativist theories. This article discusses the most widely accepted developmental stages in children. There exists a wide variation ...
s in infants and toddlers. Osofsky studied the development of children living in
low-income Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse
communities throughout the United States, where many have witnessed violence and crime, including shootings, stabbings, drug dealing, and robberies. Children who experience unexpected and random tragedies, including the deaths of family and community members, may come to fear that these events will repeat in the future, which may result in
post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...
. Violence also causes emotional instability, such that when young children interact with others, they display concerning levels of hesitation and fright. Young children may form associations that lead them to anticipate traumatic events, including
sensory information A sense is a biological system used by an organism for sensation, the process of gathering information about the surroundings through the detection of stimuli. Although, in some cultures, five human senses were traditionally identified as su ...
they vividly remember from the first time something horrific occurred. Being exposed to mature and explicit visuals may result in a loss of
innocence Innocence is a lack of guilt, with respect to any kind of crime, or wrongdoing. In a legal context, innocence is prior to the sense of legal guilt and is a primal emotion connected with the sense of self. It is often confused as being the op ...
, such that children may mentally begin to normalize the destructive environment, and may be at risk of becoming more combative and
delinquent Delinquent may refer to: * Delinquent (royalist) In 1643, near the start of the English Civil War, Parliament set up two committees: the Sequestration Committee, which confiscated the estates of the Royalists who fought against Parliament, and ...
. Osofsky observed that vulnerable children may start to believe their problems can be solved with violence, that it is normal for violence to take place within families, that one can get away with violence in
intimate relationship An intimate relationship is an interpersonal relationship that involves emotional or physical closeness between people and may include sexual intimacy and feelings of romance or love. Intimate relationships are interdependent, and the member ...
s, and that violence can be a strategy for getting people to do what you want. Osofsky has described poverty as a silent form of violence, which may contribute to the occurrence of
mental health disorder A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is ...
s in one in five impoverished children.


Books

* Emde, R. N., Osofsky, J. D., & Butterfield, P. M. (Eds.). (1993). ''The IFEEL pictures: A new instrument for interpreting emotions''. International Universities Press, Inc. * Katz, L. F., Lederman, C. S., Osofsky, J. D., & Maze, C. (Collaborator). (2011). ''Child-centered practices for the courtroom and community: A guide to working effectively with young children and their families in the child welfare system''. Paul H Brookes Publishing. * Osofsky, H. J., & Osofsky, J. D. (1973). ''The abortion experience: Psychological & medical impact''. Harper & Row. * Osofsky, J.D. (Ed.) (1987). ''Handbook of Infant Development,'' 2nd Edition. John Wiley and Sons. * Osofsky, J.D. (Ed.) (1997). ''Children in a Violent Society.'' Guilford Publishers. * Osofsky, J.D. (Ed) (2004). ''Young Children and Trauma: Intervention and Treatment.'' Guilford Publishers. * Osofsky, J.D. (Ed) (2011). ''Clinical Work with Traumatized Young Children: Regaining their Future.'' Guilford Publishers. * Osofsky, J. D., & Fenichel, E. (Eds.). (1994). ''Caring for infants and toddlers in violent environments hurt, healing, and hope''. Distributed by ERIC Clearinghouse. * Osofsky, J. D., & Fenichel, E. S. (1996). ''Islands of safety: Assessing and treating young victims of violence''. Zero To Three. * Osofsky, J. D., & Fenichel, E. S. (Eds.). (2000). ''Protecting young children in violent environments: Building staff and community strengths''. Zero to Three. * Osofsky, J.D. & Fitzgerald, H.E. (Eds.). (2000). ''WAIMH Handbook of Infant Mental Health''. John Wiley and Sons. * Osofsky, J. D., & Groves, B. M. A. (Eds.). (2018). ''Violence and trauma in the lives of children: Overview of exposure'' (Vol. 1). Praeger, an Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC. * Osofsky, J. D., & Groves, B. M. A. (Eds.). (2018). ''Violence and trauma in the lives of children: Prevention and intervention'' (Vol. 2). Praeger, an Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC. * Osofsky, J. D., Stepka, P. T., & King, L. S. (2017). ''Treating infants and young children impacted by trauma: Interventions that promote healthy development''. American Psychological Association.


References


External links


Faculty Page – LSU Department of Pediatrics

Joy Osofsky Oral History Interview
with the
Society for Research in Child Development The Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) is a professional society for the field of human development, focusing specifically on child development. It is a multidisciplinary, not-for-profit, professional association with a membership ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Osofsky, Joy American clinical psychologists American psychoanalysts American developmental psychologists Louisiana State University faculty Syracuse University alumni Living people Rye Country Day School alumni Simmons University alumni 21st-century American psychologists 20th-century American psychologists Jewish American scientists American child psychologists Year of birth missing (living people)