Maria Vale and Delfina Fernandes, Psychology doctoral students, are among the students awarded the 2024 Fulbright Grant.
At George Mason University, in Fairfax, Virginia, Maria Vale will be researching violence facilitated by the use of technology in adolescents’ intimate relationships. Through her collaboration with Professor Denise Hines, the researcher hopes to provide new insights into the role of bystanders regarding sexual violence facilitated by the use of technology. Her focus will be specifically on adolescents who have witnessed such incidents (factors that facilitate or constitute barriers to their intervention) and those who have not (predictors of their intention to intervene on behalf of the victim in the future). The results of this collaboration will contribute to improving prevention and intervention strategies in this area."
At California State University-Long Beach, Delfina Fernandes will deepen her knowledge in the area of national and international procedures for collecting testimonies from children and adolescents victims of sexual crimes. At the Long Beach Trauma Recovery Center, the researcher will have the opportunity to improve her skills in providing evidence-based trauma services to victims, as well as contributing to the creation of a more favorable and sensitive environment for this population within the institutions. The results of the research could make a significant contribution to improving the practices of Portuguese professionals in assisting victims of crime.
Research work starts as early as September 2024.
The Fulbright Commission in Portugal is a binational organization that promotes cultural and educational exchange between Portugal and the United States. Fulbright grants represent an important milestone in the internationalization of UMinho’s research.