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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
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

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Recent Publications


Two Decades of Child Welfare System Contact in the Global North: A Research Note on Trends in 44 Countries.

Journal Article Demography · February 2025 Child maltreatment and child welfare system contact are both associated with an elevated risk of adverse outcomes in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Yet, data on variation in system contact are available for only a handful of countries, limiting kno ... Full text Cite

Pediatric Health and System Impacts of Mass Incarceration, 2009-2020: A Matched Cohort Study.

Journal Article Academic pediatrics · November 2024 ObjectiveThe US has the highest incarceration rate in the world; incarceration's direct and indirect toll on the health and health care use of youth is rarely investigated. We sought to compare the health of youth with known personal or family jus ... Full text Cite

The consequences of sibling criminal legal system contact for family life

Journal Article Journal of Marriage and Family · August 1, 2024 Objective: To consider whether one sibling's criminal legal system contact influences another's material conditions, social support, and mental health and behavioral problems. Background: Sibling incarceration is both the most common form of familial incar ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


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

The Health Consequences of Childhood Maltreatment and Foster Care From Adolescence Into Mid-Life

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2027

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Education, Training & Certifications


Princeton University · 2008 Ph.D.

External Links


Website