Renee McDonald

Renee McDonald, professor of psychology, became Associate Dean for Research in SMU's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences on June 1, 2011.

Dr. McDonald received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Houston in 1994. Her research has focused  on understanding how children’s exposure to family conflict and violence contribute to child psychological maladjustment, and on developing interventions for children exposed to violence. In recent years, she has also developed and evaluated sexual assault prevention and teen dating violence prevention programs for use on high school and college campuses. Dr. McDonald’s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Injury Prevention, and the Department of Justice, and she has consulted with state, national, and foreign governments on selection, implementation, and evaluation of programs to reduce relationship violence in families and in schools. 

In her position as Associate Dean, Dr. McDonald is responsible for facilitating, supporting, and enhancing faculty research in the college’s humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and mathematics departments. Key areas of responsibility include development and implementation of policy and procedures in support of faculty research, oversight of the college’s internal grant program, and strategic planning for advancing the college’s research capabilities. Dr. McDonald came to Southern Methodist University as an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology in 2003.  

Hamby, S., McDonald, R., & Grych, J. (2014). Trends in violence research: An update through 2013. Psychology of Violence, online ahead of publication.

Jouriles, E. N., Rosenfield, D., McDonald, R., & Mueller, V. (in press).  Child Involvement in Interparental Conflict and Child Adjustment Problems: A Longitudinal Study of Violent Families Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology.

Jouriles, E. N., & McDonald, R. (in press).  Intimate partner violence, coercive control and child adjustment problems. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

Jouriles, E. N., Simpson Rowe, L., McDonald, R., & Kleinsasser, A. (2014). Women's expression of anger in response to unwanted sexual advances: associations with sexual victimization. Psychology of Violence. DOI: 10.1037/a0033191

McDonald, R., & Merrick, M. (2013) “Above all things, be glad and young”: Advancing research on violence in adolescence. Psychology of Violence, 3, 289-296.

Spiller, L. C., Jouriles, E. N., McDonald, R., & Skopp, N. A. (2012). Physically abused women’s experiences of sexual victimization and their children’s disruptive behavior problems. Psychology of Violence, 2, 401-410.

Jouriles, E. N., Mueller, V., Rosenfield, D. McDonald, R., & Dodson, M. C. (2012). Teens' experiences of harsh parenting and exposure to severe intimate partner violence:  Adding insult to injury in predicting teen dating violence. Psychology of Violence, 2, 125-138. 

McDonald, R., Jouriles, E. N., Rosenfield, D., & Leahy, M. M. (2012). Children’s questions about interparent conflict and violence: What’s a mother to say? Journal of Family Psychology, 26, 95-104.

Jouriles, E. N., McDonald, R., Mueller, V., & Grych, J. H. (2012). Youth experiences of family violence and teen dating violence perpetration: Cognitive and emotional mediators. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 15, 58-68. 

Simpson Rowe, L, Jouriles, E. N., McDonald, R., Platt, C. G., & Gomez, G. S. (2012). Enhancing women’s resistance to sexual coercion: A randomized controlled trial of the DATE program. The Journal of American College Health, 60, 211-218.

McDonald, R., Jouriles, E. N., Rosenfield,D., & Leahy, M. M. (2011). Children’s questions about interparental conflict and violence: What’s a mother to say? Journal of Family Psychology, 26, 95-104.

McDonald, R., Dodson, M. C., Rosenfield, D., Jouriles, E. N. (2011). Effects of a parenting intervention on features of psychopathy in children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 39, 1013-1023.

McDonald, R., Jouriles, E. N., Rosenfield, D., Corbitt-Shindler, D. (2011). Predictors of domestically violent men's aggression toward children: A prospective study. Journal of Family Psychology, 25, 11-18.

Jouriles, E. N., McDonald, R., Norwood, W. D., Spiller, L. C., Stephens, N., & Ehrensaft, M. (2010) Improving parenting in families referred for child maltreatment: A randomized controlled trial examining effects of Project Support. Journal of Family Psychology, 24-338.

Minze, L. C., McDonald, R., Rosentraub, E. L., & Jouriles, E. N. (2010). Making sense of family conflict: Intimate partner violence and preschoolers’ externalizing problems. Journal of Family Psychology, 24, 5-11.

Jouriles, E. N., McDonald, R., Rosenfield, D., Stephens, N., Corbitt-Shindler, D., & Miller, P. C. (2009). Reducing Conduct Problems among Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: A Randomized Clinical Trial Examining Effects of Project Support. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 77, 705-717

Jouriles, E. N., McDonald, R., Kullowatz, A., Rosenfield, D., Gomez, G. S., Cuevas, A. (2009). Can virtual reality increase the realism of role plays used to teach college women sexual coercion and rape resistance skills? Behavior Therapy, 40, 337-345.

McDonald, R., Jouriles, E. N., Tart, C. D. & Minze, L. C. (2009). Children’s adjustment problems in families characterized by men’s severe violence toward women: Does other family violence matter? Child Abuse and Neglect, 33, 94-101.

Jouriles, E. N., Garrido, E., Rosenfield, D., McDonald, R. (2009). Experiences of psychological and physical aggression in adolescent romantic relationships: Links to psychological distress. Child Abuse & Neglect, 33, 451-460.

McDonald, R. M., & Skopp, N. A. (2008). Cultural diversity and children exposed to family violence: Issues in adapting interventions. Protecting Children, 22, 32-44.

Jouriles, E. N., Brown, A. S., McDonald, R., Rosenfield, D., Leahy, M. M., & Silver, C. (2008). Intimate partner violence and preschoolers’ explicit memory functioning. Journal of Family Psychology, 22, 420-428.

McDonald, R., Jouriles, E. N., Briggs-Gowan, M., Rosenfield, D., & Carter, A. (2007). Violence toward a family member, angry adult conflict, and child adjustment difficulties: Relations in families with 1- to 3-year-old children. Journal of Family Psychology, 21, 176-184.

McDonald, R., & Grych, J. (2006). Young children’s perceptions of interparent conflict: Measurement and links with adjustment problems. Journal of Family Psychology, 20, 88-99.

McDonald, R., Jouriles, E. N., Ramisetty-Mikler, S., Caetano, R., & Green, C. (2006). Estimating the number of American children living in partner-violent families. Journal of Family Psychology 20, 137-142.