Leslie Simons , Ph.D.
Child & Family Development
Phone: (706) 542-4855
lgsimons@uga.edu

My research interests include the influence of family processes/structure and community factors on adolescent adjustment. Specifically, my work has focused on the causes of conduct problems, aggression, and risky sexual behavior. My work has examined the impact of parental behavior including gender differences in parenting styles, use of corporal punishment, and family religiosity on adolescent problem behavior. I have also investigated the extent to which these differences in parental behavior account for family structure and racial/ethnic differences in adolescent adjustment. Finally, I have addressed ways in which parents in a community work together to provide collective socialization for each other's children. Currently, I am investigating the relationship between family factors and adolescent risky sexual behavior as mediated by their attitudes about marriage, desired partner characteristics, and sexual values.

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