Summary
Shawn C. Marsh is the director of Judicial Studies and associate professor of Communication Studies and Social Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno.
He is a social psychologist with research and teaching interests in the areas of psychology and the law, bias and decision-making, adolescent development, trauma, resiliency and juvenile justice.
Marsh is the former chief program officer for Juvenile Law at the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ), where he taught and provided technical assistance on topics such as implicit bias and trauma-responsive justice and oversaw a myriad of national projects focused on child welfare, juvenile justice, judicial decision-making, school engagement and trauma/victimization.
His background also includes working with youth in detention and correction settings as an educator and mental health clinician and he is a licensed school counselor, professional counselor and clinical professional counselor.
Marsh has served on numerous national advisory committees, including the U.S. National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention Task Force, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control STRYVE Youth Violence Prevention Council, the U.S. Office of Victims of Crime Coordinating Systems of Care Steering Committee, the National Child Traumatic Stress Network Juvenile Justice Subcommittee and the National Training Team for Racial & Ethnic Fairness in the Courts coordinated by the National Center for State Courts.
Research interests
- Psychology and the law
- Juvenile law
- Courts and the judiciary
- Trauma-responsive justice
- Victimization
- Resiliency
- Crisis intervention
- Adolescent development
Class materials
- Alternative Dispute Resolution (COM 454/654)
- Research Methods for Judges (JS 718)
- Advanced Social Psychological Theory I (SPSY 739)
- Social Psychology Special Topics: Juvenile Law (SPSY 764)
- Social and Behavioral Science in the Law (JS 735)
- Communication Theory (COM 760)
- Advanced Adolescent Development (HDFS 431/631)
- Introduction to Social Psychology (PSY 261)
Selected publications
- Russell, K., & Marsh, S. C. (2018). When juveniles commit sexual offenses: Considerations and recommendations for judges. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 69(2), 37-48.
- Helfrick, V., DeVault, A., Marsh, S. C., & Snider, K. M. (2018). Environmental considerations for trauma-responsive juvenile and family courts: A review of the literature with recommendations for practice. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 69(2), 5-20.
- Perez, L., Miller, M. K., Summers, A., & Marsh, S. C. (2017). Assessing interventions to reduce judicial bias. In S. Redfield & B. Donald (Eds.), Enhancing justice: Reducing bias. Chicago, IL: American Bar Association.
- Kuhn, J., Marsh, S. C., & Cotman, R. (2016). The best and worst of dispositions: An analysis of 30 years of juvenile justice data in La Porte County, Indiana. Child & Youth Care Forum, 46(3), 357-378.
- Marsh, S. C., Summers, A., Devault, A., & Villalobos, G. (2016). Lessons learned from the development of a trauma consultation protocol for juvenile and family courts. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 67(3), 5-22.
- Marsh, S. C., Dierkhising, C., Decker, K., & Rosiak, J. (2015). Preparing for a trauma review in your juvenile and family court. Reno, NV: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges.
- Marsh, S. C., & Gonzalez, C. (2014). A need for training: Preparing juvenile and family court judges on military-related issues. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 65, 13-21.
- Marsh, S. C., & Byer, J. (2013). Toward a conceptual framework for trauma-responsive practice in courts. Criminal Law Practitioner, 1(1), 101-103.
- Mallett, C. A., Williams, M. J., & Marsh, S. C. (2013). Specialized detention facilities. In O. Thienhaus & M. Piasecki (Eds.), Correctional psychiatry. New York, NY: Civic Research Institute.
*Full list of publications available upon request.
Ph.D. students
Education
- Ph.D., Social Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno
- M.Ed., Guidance and Counseling, University of Alaska, Fairbanks
- B.Ed., Secondary Education/Social Sciences, University of Alaska, Fairbanks