Dr. Alan Leschied, PhD
Professor Emeritus
BA, MEd, PhD (University of Western Ontario)
Dr. Alan Leschied, PhD
Professor Emeritus
BA, MEd, PhD (University of Western Ontario)
I am a psychologist and professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Western Ontario, and began working in children’s mental health in 1977 at the London Family Court Clinic. I have served on numerous children’s services Board’s of Directors, including the Children’s Aid Society of London and Middlesex, The Coordinating Committee for Children and Youth, and The Canadian Council on Social Development. He is a past chair of London’s Investing in Children. I am a founding member of the International Prisons and Corrections Association, served on the research advisory committee of the Sparrow Lake Alliance and, from 1993 to 1998, was the Canadian Psychology Association’s representative to the Health Care Advisory Committee for Correctional Services Canada. Currently I serve on the advisory committees to the Centre of Excellence in Children’s Mental Health at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, the Research Advisory Committee of the Child Welfare Secretariat for the Ministry of Children and Youth and the research advisory committee with Correctional Services Canada.
I appear as an expert witness in youth courts and coroner’s inquests on matters related to youth justice and child welfare and have appeared in the provinces of Alberta, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. Clinically, my current work focuses on assessing and advancing prevention related to childhood sexual abuse in the context of institutions such as schools and faith communities.
I am a Fellow of the Canadian Psychology Association, a recipient in 2003 of both the Edward G. Pleva Award for Excellence in Teaching and the Judge Wendy Robson Award for outstanding service to children in Ontario and in 2004, the recipient of a life-time achievement award through the Criminal Justice Section of the Canadian Psychology Association.
Research
Current and Recently Funded Research Projects
Cornouyer, L.G. & Leschied, A.W. (2010) La réhabilitation des jeunes contrevenants: d'un idéal aux pratiques réelles. SSHRC. $172, 460.
Findlay, J. Brown, J., Rodger, S., Leschied, A.W. & O’Sullivan, J. (2010). Mamow Ki- ken- da- ma -win: Enhancing social determinants of health through a partnership-based approach to child, family and community wellness in First Nations in northern Ontario. SSHRC.
Reid, G.J. (Co-PI),Stewart,S.L.(Co-PI), Barwick,M., Carter,J., Evans, B., Leschied,A., Neufeld, R., St. Pierre,J. Tobon,J., Vingilis, E., & Zaric,G.(10/2010-09/2014). Predicting and understanding patterns of service utilization within children's mental health agencies (3 years). Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR #220153). $336,160
Stewart, S. & Leschied, A.W. (2011). Planning access for mental health services for children in care. Ontario Ministry of Child and Family Services Strategic Funded Projects. (1 year). $30,000.
Leschied, A.W., Rodger, S. & Brown, J. (2012). A cross Canada assessment of foster parent retention practices and strategies. Child Welfare League of Canada. (1 year). $60,000.
St. Piere, J. & Leschied, A.W. Evaluating long term outcomes of children in residential care. Centre for Excellence in Children's Mental Health, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. 150,000. 2006.
Rodger, S., Leschied, A.W., Cummings, A. & Harris, R. The Bridges Project: Women's Links to Learning and Independence. Social Science and Humanities Research Council. 102,021. 2006.
Evaluation of the London and Middlesex Children's Aid Society's Kinship Care and Family Group Decision-Making Initiative. London and Middlesex Children's Aid Society and the Ministry of Child and Youth Services. 40,000. 2005-2007.
Understanding pathways in the justice system relating to youth who proceed to the adult correctional system: A meta analysis. National Crime Prevention Centre, 48,150. 2004-2006.
Implementing a group based program for violence with adolescent girls. Center to End Violence Against Women and Children, 5,000. 2003-2004.
Establishing reliability on risk and needs assessment for women offenders in the federal corrections system. Correctional Services Canada, 40,000. 2003-2004.
Longitudinal study of children admitted to the care of the London and Middlesex Children's Aid Society. The Ministry of Community Children and the Family. 50, 000. 2003- 2004.
Evaluating foster care recruitment and retention practices at the Children's Aid Society. Ontario Association for Children's Aid Societies. 10,000. 2003-2004.
Evaluation of long term counselling for clients at the Interfaith Counselling Centre. Trillium Foundation. 8,000.00. 2003-2005.
Understanding factors relevant to the increase in admissions to care of the Children's Aid Society. United Way, City of London, Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, London and Middlesex Children's Aid Society. $60,000, 2002-2003.
In The News
Recent Publications
Books
Leschied, A. W., Jaffe, P. G., & Willis, W. (Eds.) (1991). The Young Offenders Act: A revolution in Canadian juvenile justice. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.
Bernfeld, G.A., Farrington, D. & Leschied, A.W. (Eds.) (Spring, 2001). Offender rehabilitation in practice: Implementing and evaluating effective programs. London, UK: John Wiley Press.
Cummings, A. and Leschied, W. (Eds.) (Fall 2002). Violence in the Lives of Adolescent Girls: Implications for Educators and Counsellors. Cummings, A. and Leschied, W. (Eds.) (Fall 2002). New York, NY.: Edwin Mellen Press.
Recent Book Chapters
Leschied, A. W. and Wormtih, S. (2004). Practice with young offenders and adult correctional clients (pps. 321-356). D.R. Evans (ed.) The Law, Standards, and Ethics in the practice of psychology (second edition). Toronto ON: Emond Montgomery Press
Leschied, A.W. (2002). Cognitive behavioural treatment for young offenders. (ps. 43-53). In K. Sakai (ed.) Annual report and resource guide. United Nations and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders. Fuchu, JA.
Leschied, A.W. (2002). Multisystemic therapy: Community-based treatment for high risk offenders. (pps. 54-82). Annual report and resource guide. United Nations and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders. Fuchu, JA.
Leschied, A.W. (2002). What works with young offenders: Summarizing the literature. (pps. 83-105). Annual report and resource guide. United Nations and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders. Fuchu, JA.
Leschied, A.W., Cummings, A.L., Van Brunschot, M. and Saunders, A. (2001). Literature Review: Correlates of Aggression with Adolescent Girls. (pps. 3-40). In A. Cummings and A.W. Leschied, (Eds.) (Fall 2002). Violence in the Lives of Adolescent Girls: Implications for Educators and Counsellors. New York, NY.: Edwin Mellen Press.
Traher, C. & Leschied, A.W. Experiences of violence in the lives of adolescent girls. (pps. 41-56). In A. Cummings and A.W. Leschied (Eds.) (Fall 2002). Violence in the Lives of Adolescent Girls: Implications for Educators and Counsellors. New York, NY.: Edwin Mellen Press.
Leschied, A.W., Cummings, A. Tingley, J. and Heilbron, N. School-Based Prevention and Intervention with Adolescent Girls. (pps. 161-186). In A. Cummings and A.W. Leschied (Eds.) (Fall 2002). Violence in the Lives of Adolescent Girls: Implications for Educators and Counsellors. New York, NY.: Edwin Mellen Press.
Cummings, A. and Leschied, A.W. Aggressive Adolescent Girls: A Qualitative Analysis of their Verbal and Physical Aggression. (pp. 57-76). In A. Cummings and A.W. Leschied (Eds.) (Fall 2002). Violence in the Lives of Adolescent Girls: Implications for Educators and Counsellors. New York, NY.: Edwin Mellen Press.
Heilbron, N. Leschied, A.W. and Cummings, A. The Relationship between Violence Experiences and the Perpetration of Violence with Adolescent Girls. (pp. 77-102). In A. Cummings and A.W. Leschied (Eds.) (Fall 2002). Violence in the Lives of Adolescent Girls: Implications for Educators and Counsellors. New York, NY.: Edwin Mellen Press.
Leschied, A.W. and Cummings, A. Implications for Policy and Practice: Next Steps. (pp. 209-217). In A. Cummings and A.W. Leschied (Eds.) (Fall 2002). Violence in the Lives of Adolescent Girls: Implications for Educators and Counsellors. New York, NY.: Edwin Mellen Press.
Leschied, A.W., Cummings, A.L. & Baker, L. (Fall, 2000). Models of supervision relevant to the delivery of effective correctional service. In. H. Allen (ed.) Monograph series on community corrections. International Community Corrections Association. LA Crosse, WI.
Leschied, A.W., Bernfeld, G.A. & Farrington, D. (2001). Correctional program implementation: An overview. In G. Bernfeld, D. Farrington & A.W. Leschied, (Eds.) Offender rehabilitation in practice: Implementing and evaluating effective programs. London, UK: John Wiley Press.
Leschied, A.W. (2001). Program implementation for effective corrections. pps.41-46. In L. Motiuk (ed.) The compendium of current knowledge in corrections. (Volume 1). Correctional Services of Canada. Ottawa, ON. The Queen’s Printer.
Leschied, A.W. (2001). Young offenders: A review of the current literature on assessment and treatment. pps. 82-88. In L. Motiuk (ed.) The compendium of current knowledge in corrections. (Volume 2). Correctional Services of Canada. Ottawa, ON. The Queens Printer.
Leschied, A.W., & Cunningham, A. (2000). A review of the use of custody in Canada’s young offender system and the development of a community-based program for high risk young offenders. In A.M. van Kalmthout, H.J. Albrecht, & J. Junger-Tas (Eds.), Community sanctions: Measures and execution modalities in Europe, the USA and Canada. The Netherlands: Kluwer Publishing.
Leschied, A. W., & Wormith, J. S. (1997). Assessment of young offenders and treatment of correctional clients. In D. R. Evans (Ed.), The law, standards of practice, and ethics in the practice of psychology (pp. 233-258). Toronto, ON: Emond Montgomery Publications Ltd.
Leschied, A. W., & Jaffe, P. G. (1995). Dispositions as indicators of conflicting social purposes under the JDA and YOA. In N. Larsen (Ed.), The Canadian criminal justice system: An issues approach to the administration of justice (pp. 419-430). Toronto, ON: Canadian Scholars' Press.
Leschied, A. W., Jaffe, P. G., Andrews, D. A., & Gendreau, P. (1992). Treatment issues and young offenders: An empirically derived vision of juvenile justice policy. In R. Corrado, N. Bala, R. Linden, & M. LeBlanc (Eds.), Juvenile justice in Canada: Theoretical and analytical assessment (pp. 347-366). Toronto, ON: Butterworths.
Leschied, A. W. (1991). Canadian juvenile justice reform: Is fair and equal always effective? In J. Hackler (Ed.), The Onati International Institute for the Sociology of Law (pp. 83-90). Onati, Spain: Onati International Institute for the Sociology of Law.
Jaffe, P. G., & Leschied, A. W. (1991). The YOA in the year 2000: Regaining equilibrium in the Canadian Juvenile Justice System. In A. W. Leschied, P. G. Jaffe, & W. Willis (Eds.), The Young Offenders Act: A revolution in Canadian Juvenile Justice (pp. 291-300). Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.
Leschied, A. W., & Jaffe, P. G. (1991). Dispositions as indicators of conflicting social purposes under the JDA and YOA. In A. W. Leschied, P.G. Jaffe, & W. Willis (Eds.), The Young Offenders Act: A revolution in Canadian Juvenile Justice (pp. 158-172). Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.
Leschied, A. W. (1989). Evaluating conflicts between intention and outcome within changing Canadian juvenile justice policy : Just listen to what the data says! In J. Hudson & B. Galaway (Eds.), The state as parent: International perspectives on interventions with young persons (pp. 173-186). London, England: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Jaffe, P. G., & Leschied, A. W. (1989). Beyond custody : The case for treatment and rehabilitation initiatives for young offenders. In L. A. Beaulieu (Ed.), Young offender dispositions: Perspectives on principles and practice. Toronto, ON: Wall and Thompson Publisher.
Leschied, A. W. , & Jaffe, P. G. (1989). Implementing the Young Offenders Act in Ontario : Critical issues and challenges for the future. In J. Hudson, J. P. Hornick, & B. A. Burrows (Eds.), Justice and the young offender in Canada (pp. 65-79). Toronto, ON : Wall and Thompson Publishers.
Leschied, A. W., Jaffe, P. G., Gendreau, P., & Andrews, D. A. (1989). Treatment issues and young offenders. In R. Corrado, N. Bala, M. Leblanc, and R. Linden (Eds.), Juvenile justice in Canada: A theoretical and analytical assessment. Vancouver, BC: Butterworth Publications.
Leschied, A. W., & Jaffe, P. G. (1986). Implications of the Young Offenders Act in modifying the juvenile justice system: Some early trends. In N. Bala & H. Lillies (Eds.), Young Offenders Act Update (pp. 450-459). Toronto, ON: Butterworths.
Recent Publications
den Dunnen, W., St. Pierre, J., Stewart, S.L., Johnson, A., Cook, S. & Leschied, A.W. (2012). Predicting Residential Treatment Outcomes with Seriously Emotionally and Behaviourally Disordered Youth: The Role of Pre Treatment Factors. Residential Treatment for Children and Youth, 29, 13-31.
Rodger, S. and Leschied, A. (2011). The Impact of Victimization in Cases of Historical Child Sexual Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence: Implications for Practice. In Psychology of Victimization. Nova Science Publishers, Inc. Hauppauge, NY.
Craig, K., Bell, D. & Leschied, A. (2011). Preservice teacher’s knowledge and attitudes regarding school violence. Canadian Journal of Education, 34, 21-33.
Leschied, A.W. & Wormith, S. (2011). Assessment of young offenders and treatment of correctional clients. (pp. 387-425). In D.R. Evans (ed.) The law, standards of practice, and ethics in the practice of psychology. Carswell Toronto ON.
Leschied, A.W. (2011). The Correlates of Youth violence: Evidence from the literature. International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies. 2, 233-262.
Corrado, R. & Leschied, A.W. (2011). Introduction: Canadian research perspectives for youth at risk for serious and violent offending: Implications for crime prevention policies and practices. International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies 2, 162-171.
Leschied, A.W. (2011). Youth Justice and Mental Health in Perspective. Healthcare Quarterly. 58-63.
Cuthbert, R., Stewart, S., St. Pierre, J., Johnson, A., Cook, S. & Leschied, A.W. (2011). Symptom persistence in seriously emotionally disordered children: Findings of a two-year follow-up after residential treatment. Child and Youth Care Forum.
Noftle, J.W, Cook, S., Leschied, A., St. Pierre, J., Stewart, S.L., Johnson, A.M. (2011). The Trajectory of Change for Children and Youth in Residential Treatment. Child Psychiatry and Human Development.
Raghunandan, S & Leschied, A. (2010). Evaluating the effectiveness of kinship services with children exposed to domestic violence: Exploring the impact of a ‘Dual Victim Treatment’ approach. Family Services Review: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services. 91, 52-59.
Wolfe, D.A., Jaffe, PG., Leschied, A.W. & Legate, B. (2010). Assessing historical abuse allegations and damages. Child Abuse and Neglect, 34, 135-143.
Hurley, D., Chiodo, D, Leschied, A.W. and Whitehead, P. C. (2005). Intergenerational Continuity and Child Maltreatment: Implications for Social Work Practice in Child Welfare. Canadian Journal of Social Work, 31-44.
Sullivan, C., Whitehead, P.C. Leschied, A.W., Chiodo, D. & Hurley, D. (2006). Perception of Risk Among Child Protection Workers Children and Youth Services Review.
Rodger, S., Cummings, A., and Leschied, A.W. (2005). Who is Caring for Our Most Vulnerable Children? The Motivation to Foster in Child Welfare. Child Abuse and Neglect.
MacGregor, T.E., Rodger, S., Cummings, A. L., & Leschied, A.W. (2006). The needs of foster parents: A qualitative study of motivation, support, and retention. Qualitative Social Work , 5, 351-368..
Buxton, R.M., Rodger, S., Cummings, A. & Leschied, A.W. (2006). The change process in clients with high needs. Canadian Journal of Counselling, 40, 32-47.
Leschied, A.W., Chiodo, D., Whitehead, P.C., and Hurley, D. (2006). Association of Poverty with Child Welfare Service and Child and Family Clinical Outcomes. Community. Work and Family, 9, 29-46.
Leschied, A.W., Cummings, A. L. & Baker, L.L. (2005). Models of supervision relevant to the delivery of effective correctional service. Journal of Community Corrections, 14, 6- 10.
Leschied, A.W., Chiodo, D., Whitehead, P.C., and Hurley, D. (2005). The Relationship between Maternal Depression and Child Outcomes in a Child Welfare Sample: Implications for Policy and Treatment. Child and Family Social Work, 10, 281-291.
Chiodo, D., Leschied, A.W., Whitehead, P.C. and Hurley, D. (2005). Child Welfare Practice and Policy Related to the Impact of Children Experiencing Physical Victimization and Domestic Violence. Children and Youth Services Review.
Leschied, A.W., Chiodo, D., Whitehead, P.C., and Hurley, D The Association of Poverty with Child Welfare Service and Child and Family Clinical Outcomes. Child, Family and Work.
Cummings, A., Hoffman, S. & Leschied, A.W. (2004). A psychoeducational group for aggressive adolescent girls. Journal of Specialists in Group Work, 29, 1-15.
Hoffman, S., Cummings, A, & Leschied, A.W. (2004). Treating aggression in high risk adolescent girls. Canadian Journal of Counselling, 38, 59-74.
Leschied, A.W., Whitehead, P.C., Hurley, D. & Chiodo, D. (2004). Protecting children is everybody’s business. Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Society Journal, 47, 3, 10-16.
Leschied, A.W., Chiodo, D., Whitehead, P.W., Hurley, D. and Marshall, L. (2003) The Empirical Basis of Risk Assessment in Child Welfare: Assessing the Concurrent and Predictive Accuracy of Risk Assessment and Clinical Judgment. Child Welfare, 32, 527-540.
King, C. B., Leschied, A.W., Whitehead, P.C., Chiodo, D. and Hurley, D. (2003). Child Protection Legislation in Ontario: Past, Present and Future ? Education and Law Journal, 13, 105-126.
Cummings, A. and Leschied, A. (2002). Understanding aggression by adolescent girls: Implications for policy and research. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health, 20, 1-15.
Symboluk, A., Cummings, A.L. and Leschied, A.W. (2002). An investigation of family, social, and personal variables in adolescent sex offenders. Irish Journal of Psychology.
Leschied, A. and Cummings, A (2002). Youth violence: An overview of predictors, counselling interventions, and future directions. Canadian Journal of Counselling, 36, 252-264.
Leschied, A.W., Cummings, A.L., Van Brunschot, M., Cunningham, A. and Saunders, A. (2001). A review of the literature on aggression in adolescent girls: Implications for policy, prevention and treatment. Canadian Psychology, 42, 200-215.
Leschied, A.W. and Cunningham, A. (2001). Intensive community-based services can influence re-offending rates of high risk youth: Preliminary results of the multisystemic therapy clinic trials in Ontario. Empirical and Applied Criminal Justice Research., 1,1, 1-24.
Leschied, A.W. (2000). Informing young offender policy in young offender research: What the future holds. . Forum on Corrections Research, 12, 2, 36-39.
Yovetich, W., Leschied, A.W., & Flitch, Jason. (2000). The relationship between self-esteem and speech fluency in school-age stutterers. Journal of Speech Fluency., 25, 143-153.
Leschied, A.W., Dickinson, G. & Lewis, W. (2000). Assessing educator’s self-reported levels of legal knowledge, law-related areas of concern and patterns of accessing legal information: Implications for training and practice. Journal of Educational Administration and Foundations, 4,2, 38-67.
Leschied, A.W. (2000). Parent responsibility legislation: Implications of the next wave of legislative revisions affecting children and families in Canada. Education and Law Journal, 10, 2, 163-178.
Teaching and Supervision
Thesis Titles of Graduate Students
| Name | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Julia Rick | Profiles of Children and Youth Displaying Inappropriate Sexual Behaviours: Relevance for Assessment for Sexual Offending Patterns | Spring 2011 |
| Ben Davis | Child and Adolescent Resiliency in Residential Treatment | Spring 2011 |
| Wendy den Dunnen | Cultural Connectedness as Personal Wellness in First Nations Adolescents | Spring 2012 |
| Sharla Zalmanowitz | Exploring the Impact of Job Loss as a Function of Grief, Depression, Optimism, Hope and Self Efficacy | Spring 2011 |
| Jessica Isenor | The Association of Readiness to Change with Treatment Outcomes in Domestic Violence Group Therapy | Spring 2011 |
| Elyse Dodd | Eating Disorders and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: A Comparison of Coping Strategies In University Age Adults | Spring 2011 |
| Erin O’Keefe | Spring 2010 | |
| Keith Leung | Work-related Stress Among Wilderness Field Staff | Spring 2010 |
| Katrina Craig | Preservice teacher attitudes related to School violence | Spring 2010 |
| Rebecca Cuthbert | Risk prediction with serious emotional disorder | Spring 2010 |
| Marguerite Sookoor | Satisfaction from participation in child welfare family group decision-making | Spring 2007 |
| Nicole Sharpe | Kinship care versus foster care: outcomes for neglected children | |
| Shivon Raghunandan | Reunification, Critical Incidence and permanency in Kinship Foster Care | Spring 2007 |
| Ryan MacKay | Compassion fatigue in child welfare case managers | Spring 2007 |
| Chiang-Le Heng | Perception of safety and coping as a function of school environment and peer victimization | Spring 2007 |
| Jordanna Nash | Experience of fostering neglected children Impact on foster parent retention | In Progress |
| Robyn Marquis | Children in foster care: An investigation of the impact of past exposure to abuse and Neglect on placement outcomes | In Progress |
| Robert Hurley | The motivation and satisfaction of foster: Factors related to recruitment and retention | In Progress |
| Kristin Proctor | Promoting social skills and self concept as components of resiliency in school-age children | Spring 2004 |
| Deborah Chiodo | The characteristics of abused women on the caseload of a child protection service | Spring 2004 |
| Sara Jane Burton | Evaluating the students in the community school resource project at Sir George Ross Secondary School: The importance of relatedness for adolescents' psychological adjustment and school functioning |
