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Christopher J. Sullivan

E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor of Youth Crime and Violence, University of Missouri-St. Louis
Chapter Member: Confluence SSN
Areas of Expertise:

Connect with Christopher

(314) 516-5032
Faculty Page

About Christopher

Sullivan's research focuses mainly on juvenile delinquency, juvenile justice policy and practice, developmental and life-course criminology. His work has appeared in top journals in criminology or related fields such as youth development or public health. He is author of two books on development and juvenile justice topics. He currently collaborates with various government and community organization stakeholders in the St. Louis area on violence prevention initiatives. He is Principal Investigator on a comprehensive study of those local efforts funded by the National Institute of Justice and has served as a consultant for data and evaluation capacity building in local organizations.

Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | Member Spotlight | In the News | Publications

Contributions

Community Violence Intervention as a Targeted Response to Enduring Harm

Key Findings Brief,

After State Takeover, St. Louis Police Should Maintain Community-Based Intervention Efforts

Commentary,

A Measured Approach to Serious Youth Delinquency

Basic Facts Brief,

In the News

Quoted by Jack Suntrup and Austin Huguelet in "FBI to Add Agents in St. Louis. ‘Strongest Presence’ in Years, Says FBI Director," St. Louis Post-Dispatch , August 20, 2025.
Research discussed by Bram Sable-Smith, in "Trump Decried Crime in America, Then Gutted Funding for Gun Violence Prevention," CNN Health, June 3, 2025.
Quoted by Nicholas Phillips in "“Cops and Clinicians” Seems to be Working," St. Louis Magazine, September 5, 2023.
Guest on Radio Active Magazine, March 28, 2023.
Quoted by Clarissa Cowley in "Gun Violence is Claiming the Lives of St. Louis Children. Here’s a Look at Why Kids are Getting Shot," 5 On Your Side, October 4, 2022.
Quoted by Jeremy D. Goodwin in "Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey Calls for Juvenile Justice System Changes," St. Louis Public Radio, March 15, 2014.

Publications

Juvenile Risk and Needs Assessment: Theory, Research, Policy, and Practice (with Kristina K. Childs). (Routledge, 2021).

Takes a comprehensive, analytic approach to understanding Juvenile Risk and Needs Assessment (JRNA), covering elements relevant to how the practice affects youths’ cases and the juvenile justice system. Draws on both analysis of the extensive research on risk and needs assessment in the juvenile justice system as well as data from the authors’ recent work in the area.

Taking Juvenile Justice Seriously: Developmental Insights and System Challenges (Temple University Press, 2019).

Systematically analyzes key facets of justice-involved youth populations and parses cases to better understand core developmental influences that affect delinquency. Then takes a comprehensive look at aspects of the life-course affected by juvenile justice as well as at the juvenile justice system’s operations and its multifaceted mission of delivering both treatment and sanctions to varied populations of youths.