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Christopher Wildeman

Professor of Sociology
Sociology
417 Chapel Drive, Box 90088, Durham, NC 27708
417 Chapel Drive, Box 90088, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


My work focuses on the prevalence, causes, and consequences of contact with the criminal legal system and the child welfare system for families.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of Sociology · 2020 - Present Sociology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Co-Director for the Carceral Studies Certificate in the Kenan Institute for Ethics · 2025 - Present Kenan Institute for Ethics, University Institutes and Centers
Chair of Sociology · 2025 - Present Sociology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy · 2023 - Present Sanford School of Public Policy
Affiliate of the Center for Child and Family Policy · 2023 - Present Center for Child and Family Policy, Sanford School of Public Policy

In the News


Published March 17, 2025
Putting Sociology to Practice in Class
Published October 17, 2023
Helping Social Scientists Grow an Idea into a Research Project
Published July 20, 2021
Child Protective Services Do Work, But They Are Unevenly Distributed

View All News

Recent Publications


Out-of-Home-Care Rates among Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Children in Countries With Histories of Settler Colonialism.

Journal Article Child maltreatment · December 2025 Indigenous children in settler-colonial societies have historically been exposed to frequent family separation; yet contemporary family separation through out-of-home-care (OOHC) remains understudied. We analyzed annual OOHC rates among indigenous and non- ... Full text Cite

The direct financial costs of having a family member incarcerated.

Journal Article Science advances · November 2025 Using original data from the Family Incarceration Costs Survey, we present national estimates of the direct financial costs of family member incarceration. We find that most Americans with an incarcerated family member provide them direct financial support ... Full text Cite

The Fallout from Criminal Justice System Contact

Journal Article RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences · October 2025 Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Rockwool #5- Intergenerational desistance, persistence, and escalation in severe marginalization

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Rockwool Foundation · 2025 - 2029

National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN)

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Department of Interior · 2022 - 2027

"Implications of Parental Incarceration for Child Health and Wellbeing"

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Pennsylvania State University · 2022 - 2027

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Education, Training & Certifications


Princeton University · 2008 Ph.D.

External Links


Website