Education
Ph.D. in Criminal Justice, University at Albany, SUNY, 2011
M.S. in Criminal Justice, Northeastern University, 2002
B.A./M.A. in Psychology, Moscow State University (Russia), 1998
About Maria
Maria Tcherni-Buzzeo is an expert in crime trends and patterns, the causes of violence, juvenile crime, and the connections between poverty and violence.
Her research focuses on the structural causes of violence and homicide: poverty, education, and family structure. She also studies the interplay of these factors with family-level issues, like child abuse and neglect, and with individual circumstances, including mental health issues, tendencies towards risky behaviors, and life valuation.
She has also conducted a systematic analysis of major criminological theories and their empirical tests to explore the role of poverty in explaining crime. With National Institute of Justice funding, she examined how changes in school accountability laws impacted juvenile delinquency.
With the support of the National Institute of Justice, Dr. Tcherni-Buzzeo also examined whether the decreases in violent crime in recent decades could be attributed to the rising rate of psychotropic medications being prescribed to children and adolescents to treat ADHD, bipolar disorder, depression, and other mental health disorders.
Analyzing state-level data over the last 25 years and using official statistics and findings from longitudinal surveys of youth, Dr. Tcherni-Buzzeo found no clear evidence that psychiatric medications played a role in the decrease in violent crime.
Recently Published Books and Articles
Tcherni-Buzzeo, M. & Pyrczak, F. (in press). Evaluating research in academic journals: A practical guide to realistic evaluation (8th edition). Routledge/Taylor & Francis.
Tosto*, S. A., Alyahya*, J., Espinoza*, V., McCarthy*, K., & Tcherni-Buzzeo, M. (2023). Online learning in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: Mixed methods analysis
of student views by demographic group. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 8(1), 100598.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100598
Tcherni-Buzzeo, M. (2023). Increased prescribing of psychotropic drugs or school-based services for children
with disabilities? Associations of these self-control-boosting strategies with juvenile
violence at the state level. Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology, [online first].
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40865-023-00223-4
Tcherni-Buzzeo, M. (2023). Dietary interventions, the gut microbiome, and aggressive behavior: Review
of research evidence and potential next steps. Aggressive Behavior, 49 (1), 15-32.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.22050
Tcherni-Buzzeo, M. (2019). The "Great American Crime Decline": Possible explanations. In M.D. Krohn et
al. (Eds.), Handbook on Crime and Deviance (2nd ed.). New York, NY: Springer.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326020920_The_Great_American_Crime_Decline_Possible_Explanations
Pyrczak F., & Tcherni-Buzzeo, M. (2018). Evaluating research in academic journals: A practical guide to realistic evaluation. Routledge (Taylor & Francis). ISBN: 978-0815365662
https://digitalcommons.newhaven.edu/criminaljustice-books/7/
Tcherni-Buzzeo, M. (2018). Measuring juvenile crime to compare trends among U.S. states: Secondary data
analysis. SAGE Research Methods Cases. 10.4135/9781526436962
http://methods.sagepub.com/case/measuring-juvenile-crime-compare-trends-us-states-secondary-data-analysis
Gottschalk, P., & Tcherni-Buzzeo, M. (2017). Reasons for gaps in crime reporting: The case of white-collar criminals investigated
by private fraud examiners in Norway. Deviant Behavior, 38(3), 267-281.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01639625.2016.1196993
Tcherni, M., Davies, A., Lopes, G., & Lizotte, A. (2016). The dark figure of online property
crime: Is cyberspace hiding a crime wave? Justice Quarterly, 33(5), 890-911.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07418825.2014.994658
Bystrova, E., & Tcherni, M. (2015). Juvenile Justice in Russia. In M. D. Krohn & J. Lane (Eds.), The Handbook of Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Justice (pp.40-48). Wiley Blackwell.
https://www.wiley.com/en-us/The+Handbook+of+Juvenile+Delinquency+and+Juvenile+Justice-p-9781118513170
Tcherni, M. (2014). Structural determinants of homicide. In A. Michalos (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research. Springer.
https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_4131
Tcherni, M. (2011). Structural determinants of homicide: The Big Three. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 27(4), 475-496.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10940-011-9134-x
Recent Conference Presentations
Tcherni-Buzzeo, M., Tosto, S. A., McCarthy, K., Espinoza, V., & Alyahya, J. (2022). Student perceptions of online learning: Lessons for faculty. American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
Tosto, S. A., Klee, P., Fanning, B., Hickey, J., & Tcherni-Buzzeo, M. (2022). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on community-based criminal justice services in Connecticut. American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
Klee, P., Tcherni-Buzzeo, M., Tosto, S. A., Fanning, B., & Hickey, J. (2022). Crime changes in Connecticut during the COVID-19 pandemic based on sociodemographic and economic area profiles. American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
Wadsworth, G., & Tcherni-Buzzeo, M. (2022). The effects of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training at the Maine State Prison. American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
Geyer, P. M., & Tcherni-Buzzeo, M. (2022). Teaching about research ethics: Two of the most (in)famous studies. Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV.
Tosto, S., Hickey, J., & Tcherni-Buzzeo, M. (2022). Educational indicators and their association with crime amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in the State of Connecticut. Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV.
Jenkins, M., & Tcherni-Buzzeo, M. (2022). Racialized media portrayals and police endorsement of police abuse of power. Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV.