Institute of Criminology

Dr. Maria Ttofi - Biography

Contact Details

Dr Maria Ttofi
Room:
2.2
Tel:
+44 (0)1223 767186
Email:
mt394@cam.ac.uk

Leverhulme Postdoctoral Fellow

Leverhulme and Newton Trust Early Career Fellow
Junior Research Fellow, Wolfson College

Education

  • BA Educational Sciences, University of Cyprus, 2000
  • BA Social and Political Sciences, University of Cyprus, 2005
  • M.Phil. in Criminological Research, University of Cambridge, 2006
  • Ph.D. in Criminology, University of Cambridge, 2009
  • Ph.D. thesis title: ‘Testing the applicability of criminological theories to the context of bullying behaviour: Implications for prevention and treatment’

Research Areas

  • Quantitative research Methods
  • Systematic/meta-analytic reviews
  • Programme evaluation
  • Developmental criminology/Longitudinal research
  • Experimental criminology
  • School bullying/aggression
  • Juvenile delinquency
  • Health/criminal consequences of school aggression and peer victimization
  • Risk, promotive & protective factors

Working title of postdoctoral research: ‘Why do children at risk not become offenders?’


Research Focus on Theory Testing, Systematic Reviews, and Programme Evaluation

Maria Ttofi completed her M.Phil. and Ph.D. Degrees at the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, under the supervision of Professor David P. Farrington. Her Ph.D. research focused on the effectiveness of bullying prevention programmes and on the empirical testing of theories of teacher victimization, school bullying, and aggressive behaviour in general. Her PhD fieldwork included testing experimentally the applicability of S herman’s Defiance Theory [using 2X2 factorial designs with 1500 students randomly allocated to conditions] in the context of teacher-targeted and peer-targeted aggression of primary and secondary school students. During her doctoral studies, she was also involved in a systematic/meta-analytic review of the effectiveness of bullying prevention programmes under the aegis of the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (30 evaluations of bullying prevention programmes), which led to a more comprehensive report for the Campbell Collaboration (53 different programme evaluations; 44 evaluations included in the meta-analysis). Maria’s interests are focused on systematic/meta-analytic reviews, experimental research, school bullying/aggression and juvenile delinquency. Her post-doctoral project includes systematic/meta-analytic reviews and analyses of longitudinal studies.


Research Focus on Early Crime Prevention and Health Promotion Initiatives

Two special issues linked to the British Academy funded project on Criminal and Health Outcomes of Children involved in School Bullying based on Longitudinal Studies, in CBMH and JACPR.

Children involved in school aggression (as either perpetrators or victims of school bullying) are high-risk individuals and special attention should be paid in this vulnerable group. The British Academy funded project on ‘Health and Criminal Outcomes of Children involved in School Bullying’ offers scientific evidence on the topic based on interconnected systematic and meta-analytic reviews. Two systematic reviews and meta-analyses have been completed so far. The first meta-analysis addressed the link between bullying perpetration and offending later in life; and the second meta-analysis addressed the link between bullying victimization and depression later in life. No previous review has examined the predictive efficacy of school bullying as a risk factor for future adverse criminal and health outcomes and this has been one of the main aims of the relevant project. Both systematic reviews show unadjusted and adjusted effect sizes after controlling for other major childhood risk factors. It was found that bullying (perpetration and victimization) predicted future adverse outcomes even after controlling for other major childhood risk factors. The results of these two systematic reviews support that effective anti-bullying programmes should be promoted and could be viewed as a form of early crime prevention as well as an early form of public health promotion.
The project is still running (with other outcome measures under investigation, such as illicit substance use, anxiety, psychosomatic disorders, etc) and monitored by the Principal Investigator, Dr Ttofi, and the Co-Investigators, Professors Farrington and Lösel. It is hoped that the multi-disciplinary focus of the project will have practical implications for policy-makers, schools authorities, psychologists, and criminologists.


Academic Teaching

‘Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis’ [Advanced Module for JSSS research methods, Joint Schools Social Science]

Course description:

A series of theoretical lectures and hands-on computer activities enables students to become familiar with the overall procedure of conducting a systematic/meta-analytic review: a) explication of research questions/objectives of the meta-analysis; b) formulation of inclusion and exclusion criteria of studies that will be included in the meta-analysis; c) importance of comprehensive search for all eligible published and unpublished studies; d) coding of eligible studies and computation of effect sizes; e) analysis of effect sizes using statistical methods specific to meta-analysis.

Software used:

Comprehensive Meta-analysis [CMA]

Main topics covered:

Computation of effect sizes; computational models in meta-analysis; converting among effect sizes; analysing heterogeneity of effect sizes; sub-group analyses and meta-regression; publication bias; power analysis.


Peer Reviewed Publications

Relevant to the systematic review of health and criminal outcomes of school bullying

  1. Farrington, D.P., Loeber, R., Stallings, R., & Ttofi, M.M. (2011). Bullying perpetration and victimization as predictors of delinquency and depression in the Pittsburgh Youth Study. Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, 3 (2), 74 – 81.
  2. Farrington, D.P. & Ttofi, M.M. (2011). Bullying as a predictor of offending, violence and later life outcomes. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 21, 90 – 98.
  3. Farrington, D.P., Ttofi, M.M., & Lösel, F. (2011). Editorial: School bullying and later offending. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 21, 77 – 79.
  4. Ttofi, M.M., Farrington, D.P., & Lösel, F. (2011). Editorial: Health consequences of school bullying. Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, 3 (2), 60 – 62.
  5. Ttofi, M.M., Farrington, D.P., Lösel, F., & Loeber, R. (2011). Do the victims of school bullies tend to become depressed later in life? A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Conflict and Peace Research, 3 (2), 63 – 73.
  6. Ttofi, M.M., Farrington, D.P., Lösel, F., & Loeber, R. (2011). The predictive efficiency of school bullying versus later offending: A systematic/meta-analytic review of longitudinal studies. Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health, 21, 80 – 89.

Relevant to the systematic review of bullying prevention programmes:

  1. Farrington, D.P. & Ttofi, M.M. (2009). How to reduce school bullying. Victims and Offenders, 4 (4), 321 – 326.
  2. Farrington, D.P. & Ttofi, M.M. (2009). Reducing school bullying: Evidence-based implications for policy. In M. Tonry (Ed.), Crime and Justice (vol. 38, pp. 281 – 345). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  3. Farrington, D.P. & Ttofi, M.M. (2009). School-based programs to reduce bullying and victimization. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 2009:6.
  4. Farrington, D.P. & Ttofi, M.M. (2010). Programmes scholaires de reduction du harcelement et de la victimisation. Diversite, 162, 55 – 61.
  5. Ttofi, M.M., Farrington, D.P., & Baldry, C.A. (2008). Effectiveness of programs to reduce school bullying: a systematic review. Stockholm: Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention.
  6. Ttofi, M.M. & Farrington, D.P. (2009). What works in preventing bullying? Effective elements of anti-bullying programmes. Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research, 1, 13 – 24.
  7. Ttofi, M.M., Farrington, D.P., & Baldry, A.C. (2010). Effective programs to reduce school bullying. In D.W. Springer and A.R. Roberts (Eds.), Juvenile Justice and Delinquency (pp. 167-185). Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett, in press.
  8. Ttofi, M.M. & Farrington, D.P. (2011). Effectiveness of school-based programs to reduce bullying: A systematic and meta-analytic review. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 7, 27 – 56.

Relevant to theory testing:

  1. Ttofi, M. M. & Farrington, D. P. (2008) Bullying: short-term and long-term effects, and the importance of Defiance Theory in explanation and prevention. Victims and Offenders, 3 (2), 289-312.
  2. Ttofi, M. M. & Farrington, D. P. (2008). Reintegrative shaming theory, moral emotions and bullying behavior. Aggressive Behaviour, 34 (4), 352 – 368.

Relevant to risk, promotive and protective factors and to longitudinal research:

  1. Farrington, D.P., Ttofi, M.M., & Coid, J.W. (2009). Development of adolesence-limited, late-onset, and persistent offenders from age 8 to age 48. Aggressive Behaviour, 35, 150 – 163.
  2. Ttofi, M.M. & Farrington, D.P. (2010). School bullying: Risk factors, theories and interventions. In F. Brookman, M. Maguire, H. Pierpoint, & T.H. Bennett (Eds.), Handbook of Crime (pp. 427 – 457). Cullompton, Devon: Willan. [review of: time trends; individual, family, social risk factors; theory testing and intervention efforts]
  3. Farrington, D.P. & Ttofi, M.M. (2011). Protective and promotive factors in the development of offending. In T. Bliesener, A. Beelman, & M. Stemmler (Eds.), Antisocial behaviour and crime: Contributions of theory and evaluation research to prevention and intervention. Gottingen, Germany: Hogrefe, in press.
  4. Farrington, D.P., Loeber, R., & Ttofi, M.M. (2011). Risk and protective factors for offending. In B.C. Welsh & D.P. Farrington (Eds.), Handbook of crime prevention. Oxford: Oxford University Press, in press.

Conference Presentations, Seminars and Invited Lectures:

Relevant to school bullying and theory testing:

  1. Ttofi, M.M. & Farrington, D.P. (2007). Defiance Theory in the explanation of bullying; 59th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Atlanta, Georgia, November, 14, 2007.
  2. Ttofi, M.M. (2008). Parental punishment and sibling bullying; Invited lecture at Clare Hall Women’s Group, Clare Hall College, Cambridge University, January, 31, 2008.
  3. Ttofi, M.M. (2008). Defiance Theory as an analytical tool to enhance Restorative Justice approaches in schools; Seminar for the MPhil course in Restorative Justice, Institute of Criminology, Cambridge University, February 15, 2008.
  4. Ttofi, M.M. & Farrington, D.P. (2008). Family bonding, parental sanctions and aggressive behaviour: a test of Sherman’s theory; 4th World Conference on Violence in School and Public Policies, Lisbon, Portugal, June 24, 2008.
  5. Ttofi, M.M. & Farrington, D.P. (2008). Braithwaite’s theory in the explanation of bullying: Implications for theoretically grounded interventions; 8th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology, Edinburgh, Scotland, September 4, 2008.
  6. Ttofi, M.M., Farrington, D.P., & Lösel, F.A. (2009). Teacher victimization by students: An experimental test of Defiance Theory. Violence in Public Places Conference, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, June 25, 2009.
  7. Ttofi, M.M. (2010). School aggression and bullying. MPhil Seminar, Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, October 6, 2010.

Relevant to the systematic review on the effectiveness of bullying prevention programmes:

  1. Ttofi, M.M. & Farrington, D.P. (2008). Effectiveness of anti-bullying programs: a systematic review; 18th World Meeting of the International Society of Research on Aggression [ISRA], Budapest, Hungary, July 8, 2008. [presenting the initial Swedish Report]
  2. Ttofi, M.M., Farrington, D.P. Baldry, A.C., & Kyvsgaard, B. (2008). Effectiveness of anti-bullying programmes: a systematic review; 60th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology, St Louis, Missouri, November 13, 2008. [presenting the initial Swedish Report]
  3. Ttofi, M.M. & Farrington, D.P. (2009). Effectiveness of programs to prevent school bullying; National Institute of Justice Conference, Washington, D.C., June 15, 2009. [presenting the final Campbell report]
  4. Ttofi, M.M. & Farrington, D.P. (2009). Effective elements of anti-bullying programs. 61st Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 4, 2009. [presenting the final Campbell report]

Invited Lectures:
[given at conferences organised by foundations that funded the anti-bullying systematic review]

  1. Ttofi, M.M. & Farrington, D.P. (2009). Ways to reduce school bullying. Invited Lecture at the Danish National Institute for Social Research, Copenhagen, November 18, 2009.
  2. Farrington, D.P. & Ttofi, M.M. (2009). Effective methods to reduce school bullying. Plenary paper given at European Crime Prevention Network Best Practice Conference, Stockholm, Sweden, December 9, 2009.
  3. Farrington, D.P. & Ttofi, M.M. (2010). Effective methods to reduce school bullying. Ministry of Education and Culture, Oslo Norway, April 8, 2010.
  4. Farrington, D.P. & Ttofi M.M. (2010). Future adverse outcomes of school bullying and the necessity of bullying prevention. Plenary paper given at the 32nd Annual Conference of the International School Psychology Association, Dublin, Ireland, July 20, 2010.

Relevant to the systematic review of health and criminal outcomes of children involved in school bullying:

  1. Ttofi, M.M., Farrington, D.P., Lösel, F., & Loeber, R. (2010). Criminal and health outcomes of children involved in school bullying: A systematic review of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Stockholm Symposium, Stockholm, Sweden, June 16, 2010.
  2. Ttofi, M.M., Farrington, D.P., Lösel, F., & Loeber, R. (2010). Is there a causal link between school bullying and anxiety, depression and self-injurious behaviour? 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology, San Francisco, California, November 19, 2010.
  3. Farrington, D.P., Ttofi, M.M., Lösel, F., & Loeber, R. (2010). Is there a causal link between school bullying and later criminal offending? 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Society of Criminology, San Francisco, California, November 19, 2010.
  4. Ttofi M.M. & Farrington, D.P. (2011). How to do systematic reviews: Results of a systematic review of bullying and victimization versus later criminal and health outcomes. PhD Training, Support and Development Seminar, March 9, 2011.
  5. Ttofi, M.M. (2011). What factors protect adolescent bullies from developing into criminal offenders? Invited paper at the Jacobs Foundation Conference on ‘Adolescence: Explanation and self-regulation of the Unknown’. Marbach Castle, Germany, April 7, 2011.
  6. Ttofi, M.M., Farrington, D.P., Lösel, F., & Loeber, R. (2011). Future adverse outcomes of children involved in school bullying. Invited public seminar at the Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, University of Cambridge. May 6, 2011.
  7. Ttofi, M.M., Farrington, D.P., Lösel, F., & Loeber, R. (2011). Future health and criminal outcomes of children involved in school bullying. Panhellenic Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, Athens, Greece, May 9, 2011.

Awards

  • ‘Yiannos Kranidiotis Award’ and ‘Fedros Ikonomidis Award’ for the first-ranked student in the Sociology Department (2005).
  • A.G. Leventis Foundation Research Grant (2008 – 2009)
  • ESRC Quota Award (2006 – 2009)
  • Manuel Lopez-Rey Award (2008)
  • Commonwealth Cambridge Trusts Award (2006 – 2009)
  • Clare Hall Bursary (2006 – 2009)
  • Nigel Walker Prize for an outstanding PhD thesis, (December 2009)
  • Research Fellowship in Social Sciences, Wolfson College, Cambridge, 2009
  • British Academy Small Research Grant, 2010

Other Academic Credentials

  • Editorial Board Member of: Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research
  • Peer Reviews for: Aggressive Behavior; Cyprus Review; International Journal of Psychology; Criminal Justice and Behaviour; and Journal of Aggression, Conflict and Peace Research.

Professional Memberships and Affiliations