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Photo of Ramona Alaggia

Ramona Alaggia

Degrees: 

Professor
Cross-appointed to the Women and Gender Studies Institute
Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Chair in Child and Family
Ph.D., University of Toronto

Email: 
Phone Number: 
(416) 978-1923
Office Location: 

Room 512

CV: 
Research Interests: 
  • sexual violence/abuse disclosures
  • resilience after trauma
  • trauma informed practice
  • gender-based violence prevention
  • child exposure to intimate partner violence
Biography: 

Ramona Alaggia is a Professor at the the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work and is affiliated with the Women and Gender Studies Institute. She is the former Factor-Inwentash Chair in Children’s Mental Health (2008-2018). Ramona is currently the Margaret and Wallace McCain Family Chair in Child and Family.

Ramona’s overarching area of interest is in trauma and resilience across the life course. Her research focuses on gender and violence; child sexual abuse disclosures and mental health effects; intimate partner violence and structural barriers; and promoting ways to foster resilience processes in children, youth and adults exposed to violence. Results of these studies aid in mitigating the long-term effects of trauma, violence and abuse on children and youth. She strongly advocates for the use of trauma informed approaches for service delivery.

Locally, Ramona has been instrumental in leading research and evaluation on the wellbeing of children, youth and their families. She supports prevention and intervention programs, and helps develop innovative models of service to enhance children’s mental health. Internationally she provides training on trauma and resilience informed approaches to mental health service providers in the UK and Ireland to ensure leading-edge research for families, communities and systems to support the optimal growth of children. Her recent research successes include securing a SSHRC Insight Grant on ‘Ripple Effects: The impact of the #MeToo movement on sexual violence disclosures in Canada’ (2019-23) and a Public Health Agency of Canada Grant on ‘Youth Healthy Relationships: Study of a Gender Based Violence Prevention Program (2018-2022).