Assistant Professor
Dr. Kaitlin Fredericks is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Child and Youth Studies and a member of the Forensic Psychology and Criminal Justice program. Dr. Fredericks holds a PhD in Criminology and Social Justice from Ontario Tech University. Her community-engaged research focuses broadly on youth criminal and social justice, conceptualizations and experiences of success, community-based prevention and intervention initiatives for youth, and qualitative methods and tools for research with young people. Through participatory, reflexive, and visual methods, her work seeks to centre the voices and rights of young people. Her work is informed through the integration of several theories, including developmental and life course perspectives, positive youth development, intersectionality, and critical race theory. Her research agenda continues to contribute to the positive development and well-being of young people in contact with the criminal justice system, their families, and communities. Dr. Fredericks believes in the co-creation of knowledge with young people, community partners, and policy-driven audiences.
Dr. Fredericks is also a collaborator on interdisciplinary projects, including young people’s experiences in the criminal justice system, trauma and masculinities, prevention and intervention efforts for young people, staff perceptions and needs in working with justice-involved youth, and young people’s perceptions of energy technologies in Canada. Dr. Fredericks has professional experience with justice-involved youth and remains a member of the Ontario Association of Children and Youth Care.
Research Interests
• Youth criminal and social justice
• Community-engaged scholarship
• Conceptualizations and experiences of success
• Community-based prevention and intervention programs
• Visual, participatory, and reflexive methods
• Asset-based and strength-based frameworks
• Positive youth development
• Young people’s experiences in the criminal justice system
Select Publications/Technical Reports
Cesaroni, C., Fredericks, K., & Bickle, K. (2023). A comparative study of young adults in custody in Scotland and Canada part 2: Canada versus Scotland. Discussion paper Prepared for the Scottish Prison Service and The Ministry of the Attorney General (Ontario). March. 82 pages.
O’Connor, C., Fredericks, K., & Kosoralo, K. (2022). People’s perceptions of energy technologies in an era of rapid transformation. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 43, 331-342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2022.04.010
Fredericks, K. (2021). Finding success in life: The voices at-risk youth. (Toronto: Child Development Institute).
Sewell, K., Fredericks, K., Mohamud, A., Kallis, J., & Augimeri, L. (2020). Youth experiences in evaluating the Canadian SNAP® (Stop Now and Plan) Boys Youth Leadership Program. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-020-00658-4
Fredericks, K. (2020). Appendix A: External evaluation summary (Toronto: Child Development Institute). April. 5 pages. In SNAP® Boys – Youth Leadership Services Annual Report, by A. Mohamud.
Cesaroni, C., Grol, C., & Fredericks, K. (2019). Overrepresentation of Indigenous youth in Canada’s criminal justice system: Perspectives of Indigenous young people. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 52(1), 111-128. https://doi.org/10.1177/0004865818778746
Cited in R. v. C.P., 2021 SCC 19
Brown, S., Peterson-Badali, M., Cesaroni, C., Wagstaff, M., Chambers, A., Fredericks, K., Goodwin, J., & Van Dieten, M. (2019). Incorporating gender-based analysis into crime prevention. (Ottawa: Public Safety Canada). December. 159 pages. Research summary available through https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2020-s002/index-en.aspx
O’Connor, C., & Fredericks, K. (2018). Citizen perceptions of fracking: The risks and opportunities of natural gas development in Canada. Energy Research and Social Science, 42, 61-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.03.005
