Academics from the fields of psychology, criminology and government came together in the interest of helping crime victims on Friday afternoon.
As part of a lecture series at the Fels Institute of Government, the Jerry Lee Center of Criminology hosted researcher Edna B. Foa from the Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety.
Foa gave her lecture entitled "Diagnosis and Psychopathology of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Treatment" to about 20 attendees, most of whom hailed from the Jerry Lee Center.
Foa's lecture evaluated the effectiveness of prolonged exposure therapy in the treatment of PTSD -- a psychological disease sometimes developed after a traumatic experience involving death or physical injury.
Criminology graduate student Zsuzsanna Francia, who regularly attends the criminology lectures, said, "I think it is really helpful to have different perspectives on criminology."
She added that this specific lecture was particularly relevant because she is writing her "master's thesis on victimization ... how people are affected emotionally by crime."
Foa discussed "prolonged exposure therapy," a treatment that involves reintroducing patients to elements that were associated with their trauma. She claimed that PE is more effective in treating PTSD than other forms of cognitive behavioral therapy.
Associate Director of Research of the Jerry Lee Center of Criminology Jeffrey Roth touted the study's importance for the field of criminology.
"Certainly, the reduction of PTSD in victims is something that ought to be of more concern to criminologists than it probably is," Roth said.
"I was impressed with the event," Roth continued. "It is rare to see rigorous tests of any kind of psychotherapy, and that makes it particularly interesting."
He also underscored the particular relevance that Foa's theories have for the Jerry Lee Center right now.
"A lot of the theories that underlie Dr. Foa's treatment are being tested in a slightly different way with our experiments in the U.K. with restorative justice," Roth said, adding that the central element of restorative justice is "a conference with the victim and offender."
As the lecture ended and people finished up the pasta salad and sandwiches provided at the event, many attendees asked Foa about her study's relationship to the U.K. experiments.
Director of the Jerry Lee Center Lawrence Sherman joked that at last their experiment had a theory to go along with it.
