Early childhood

Research Interests:

Parent-child relationships and children's socio-emotional development;

The early development of concern for others;

Different aspects of parenting and their consequences for children's socialization and well-being;

Cultural context as a moderator of the linkages between parenting practices and child outcomes;

Research Projects:

The development of empathy during infancy

Experimental examination of empathy in infancy

The effects of parental control on children's prosocial development in religious and secular families

Validating a new questionnaire assessing five domains of parental socialization

 Abstracts of Current Research:

The development of empathy during infancy: This is a longitudinal study (BSF funded, in collaboration with Carolyn Zahn-Waxler & Ronit Roth-Hanania) which followed infants from age 3-months to 18-month and systematically examined their responses to others’ distress. Additional variables were also assessed, including infants’ responses to others’ positive emotions, their prosocial behaviors, infant temperament, and parent-child interactions. A follow-up at age 36-months is also being conducted.

Experimental examination of empathy in infancy: This project (ISF funded) utilizes new experimental methodologies to study young infants’ empathic understanding and concern for distressed others. It includes a set of experiments with 3- and 6-months-old infants, using eye-tracking tasks as well as behavioral tasks.

Control and prosocial development in religious and secular families: This study examined secular and religious parents' use of authoritarian and psychological control methods when disciplining their school-aged children, and children's prosocial and antisocial behavior. Children's construal of these parental behaviors was also assessed.

Validating a new questionnaire assessing five domains of parental socialization (in collaboration with Joan Grusec): The questionnaire was constructed based on the domains of socialization theoretical framework proposed by Grusec & Davidov (2010). It is being used in projects examining specific links between different aspects (domains) of parenting and different aspects of children’s and adolescents’ competence.

Select Publications:

Grusec, J. E., Davidov, M., & Lundell, L. (2002). Prosocial and Helping Behavior. In P. K. Smith & C. H. Hart (Eds.),Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Social Development (pp. 457-474). Oxford: Blackwell.

Davidov, M. & Grusec, J. E. (2006). Untangling the links of parental responsiveness to distress and warmth to child outcomes. Child Development, 77, 44-58.

Davidov, M. & Grusec, J. E. (2006). Multiple pathways to compliance: Mothers' willingness to cooperate and knowledge of their children's reactions to discipline. Journal of Family Psychology, 20, 705-708. 

Grusec, J. E. & Davidov, M. (2007). Socialization in the family: The roles of parents. In J. E. Grusec & P. D. Hastings (Eds.) Handbook of Socialization. New York: GuilfordPress.

Knafo, A., Zahn-Waxler, C., Davidov, M., Van Hulle, C., Robinson, J. L. & Rhee, S. H. (2009). Empathy in early childhood: Genetic, environmental, and affective contributions. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1167, 103-114.

Grusec, J. E. & Davidov, M. (2010). Integrating different perspectives on socialization theory and research: A domain-specific approach. Child Development, 81, 687-709.          

Roth-Hanania, R., Davidov, M., Zahn-Waxler, C. (2011). Empathy development from 8-16 months: Early signs of concern for others. Infant Behavior and Development, 34, 447-458.

Davidov, M., Zahn-Waxler, C., Roth-Hanania, R., & Knafo, A. (2013). Concern for others in the first year of life: Theory, evidence, and future directions. Child Development Perspectives, 7, 126-131.

Davidov, M., & Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2013). Recollections of Harsh Discipline in Childhood and Depressive Feelings in Adulthood: The Roles of Culture and Gender. Children and Youth Services Review, 35, 1007-1014.

Davidov, M. (2013). The socialization of self-regulation from a domains perspective. In G. Seebass, M. Schmitz, & P. M. Gollwitzer (Eds). Acting intentionally and its limits: Individuals, groups, institutions (pp. 223-244). Berlin: De Gruyter Publishers.

Schonherz, Y., Davidov, M., Knafo, A. , Zilkha, H., Shoval, G., Zalsman, G., Frisch, A., Weizman, A., & Doron Gothelf, D. (2014). Shyness discriminates between children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and Williams syndrome and predicts emergence of psychosis in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 6(1), 3.

Knafo-Noam A., Uzefovsky F., Israel S., Davidov M., & Zahn-waxler, C. (2015) The Prosocial Personality and its Facets: Genetic and Environmental Architecture of Mother-reported Behavior of 7-year old Twins. Fronties in Psychology, 6, 112.

Davidov, M., Knafo-Noam, A., Serbin, L. A., & Moss, E. (2015). The Influential Child: How children affect their environment and influence their own risk and resilience.  Development and Psychopathology,27, 947-951. 

Grusec, J. E.  & Davidov, M. (2015). Analyzing socialization from a domain-specific perspective. To appear in J. E. Grusec & P. D. Hastings (Eds.) Handbook of Socialization: Theory and Research (2nd ed.) (pp. 158-181). New York: Guilford Press.

Davidov, M., & Atzaba-Poria, N. (2016). Maternal discipline and children's adjustment: The role of the cultural and situational context. Social Development, 25, 99-119.

Davidov, M., Vaish, A. Knafo-Noam, A., & Hastings, P. D. (2016). The motivational foundations of prosocial behavior from a developmental perspective: Evolutionary roots and key psychological mechanisms. Child Development, 87, 1655-1667.

Davidov, M. (in press). Empathy. In M.H. Bornstein, M.E. Arterberry, K.L. Fingerman, & J.E. Lansford (Eds.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Avinun, R., Davidov, M., Mankuta, D. & Knafo-Noam, A. (in press). Predicting the use of corporal punishment: Child aggression, parent religiosity, and the BDNF gene. Aggressive Behavior.

Dean of The Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare

Prof. Mona Khoury-Kassabri  is the Dean of the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is also the Advisor for Minorities Affairs to Hebrew University President, and the Head of the University Steering Committee for Accessibility to Higher Education among Arab Students. Prof. Khoury-Kassabri is the head of the committee appointed to examine the Hebrew University diversity policy which of part of the Israeli Present’s initiative “Israeli Hope in the Academia”.  She is an Alumni of the Israel Young Academy and Member of the Global Young Academy.

Her research evolves around issues related to child and youth welfare. She is especially interested in the area of children and youth at risk for becoming perpetrators and victims of violent and delinquent acts. 

She was a Visiting Professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work University of Toronto for two, non-subsequent, academic years, between the years 2011-2012 and 2016-2017. Together with Prof. Mishna, the Dean of the Faculty,  they study youth involvement in cyberbulling in Canada and in Israel.

The Frances and George (z"l) Katz Family Chair at the Paul Baerward School of Social Work and Social Welfare

Higher Education
2003-2004 Postdoctoral fellow at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, Institute of Criminology,and Department of Psychology. Host Prof. Landau and Prof. Greenbaum.
2002-2003 Postdoctoral fellow at the Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. Host Prof. Daro.
1999-2002 Ph.D., School of Social Work and Social Welfare, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel (HUJI).
1996-1999 M.A., School of Social Work and Social Welfare, HUJI (Direct Track to Ph.D.).
1993-1996 B.A., School of Social Work and Social Welfare, HUJI (With honors).

Additional Functions

2020-  Member, National Advisory Council for COVID-19, Ministry of Health, Israel.    

2020- Member, Steering Committee, Campbell Collaboration Crime and Justice.

2020-  Member, aChord’s Advisory Board (Social Psychology for Social Change).

2020- Member, ELEM's Advisory Board (Youth in Distress).

2018- Dean, School of Social Work and Social Welfare, HUJI.

2019-  Member, academic committee, The Halbert Centre of Canadian Studies.

2018-  Member, steering committee, the Center for Disability Studies, HUJI.

2018-  Member, steering committee of the Autism Center, HUJI.

2017-2018 Head of the Joseph J. Schwartz M.A. Programs, HUJI.

2017- Head steering committee “policy of diversity”: part of the “Israeli Hope in the Academia”.  

2016-2017 Visiting Professor, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work University of Toronto.

2016- Member, Global Young Academy.

 2016- Member, The Hebrew University Senate.

2015- Academic Coordinator, Center for the Study of Multiculturalism, HUJI. 

2015-2019 Member, The Israel Young Academy.

Research Grants:

2018-2020 The Ralph Goldman Center for Judaism, Social Welfare and Ethics, HUJI. Forms and Functions of Aggressive Behavior among Israeli Preschool Children from Different Religious Groups: The Role of Individual and Parental Correlates (50,000 NIS). Zadok, I., &  Khoury-Kassabri, M. 
2018-2020 Israel Ministry of Justice. Policing Juveniles in Deeply Divided Cities: Integrative Treatment of Stones- Throwing among Young Palestinians in East Jerusalem (318,000 NIS). Hasisi, B., &  Khoury-Kassabri, M. 
2015 Halbert Centre Research Exchange Program in Canadian Studies, Motivations for Cyber Bullying: A Longitudinal and Multi-Perspective Inquiry
(7,500$). Khoury-Kassabri, M.
2013-2015 Israel Science Foundation (ISF). Juvenile Delinquency and Violence of Arab Youth in Israel: The Contribution of Individual, Family, Peer, and Community Factors.  (59,400 $) Khoury-Kassabri, M.
2012-2014 Warburg Fund, Violence among Jewish and Arab Youth in Israel: The Contribution of individual and Contextual Factors. (10,000$) Khoury-Kassabri, M.
2010-2011 Halbert Centre Research Exchange Program in Canadian Studies, Evaluating a Cyber Risk and Cyber Safety Educational Intervention Program (9,962$). Khoury-Kassabri, M.
2009-2011 Anita Morawetz Fund for Research on Children at Risk, The Contribution of Self-Efficacy, Attitudes towards the Use of Violence, and Contextual Factors to the Actual Use of Violence toward Children among Arab Preschool Teachers in Israel (15,000$). Khoury-Kassabri, M., Attar-Schwartz, S., & Zur, H. 
2008-2009 Warburg Fund, Parental Discipline in Childhood and its Links to Socio-Emotional Functioning in Early Adulthood among Arab and Jewish University Students (10,000$). Khoury-Kassabri, M., & Davidov, M.
2006-2008 Israel Foundation Trustees, The relationship between teachers' self efficacy and attitudes toward the use of violence and teachers' use of violence toward students (20,000$). Khoury-Kassabri, M.
2007-2008 Yad Hanadiv, Media Campaign to reduce school violence (70,000$). Benbenishty, R., & Khoury-Kassabri, M.
2006-2007 Warburg Fund, The development of the understanding of children rights and of child participation in a cultural and religious comparative perspective (12,500$). Ben-Arieh, A., & Khoury-Kassabri, M. 
2005-2006 Warburg Fund, Predicting recidivism among youth in treatment of probation officers (6,500$). Khoury-Kassabri, M. 
2004-2005 Ministry of Education, Violence in Israeli Schools. (120,000$) Benbenishty, R., & Khoury-Kassabri, M. 
2004-2005 Yad Hanadiv, The Contribution of School Climate to Academic Attainment (50,000$). Benbenishty, R., & Khoury-Kassabri, M.

Teaching at the Hebrew University

Supervision of Master’s and Doctoral Degree students in the last five years Master’s degree students:

2015-2015 Michal Fass (co supervising with Prof. Hans M. Koot, University of Amsterdam).
2016-2017 Haim Dayan.

Doctoral degree student:

2013- 2017 Adeem Massarwa.
2013- 2018 Yoa Michal Sorek (co supervising with Prof. Asher Ben-Arieh).
2018- Haim Dayan.
2018- Lana Jeries.

Post-doctoral Fellows and Visitors (6 months or longer): 
2017-2018 Michal Levy, Ph.D.
2017-2018 Tahel Ben-Zvi , Ph.D. (with Prof. Attar-Schwartz).
2019-2010 Ronen Ziv, Ph.D. (with prof. Hasisi).

Courses Taught
Behavioral Problems among Early Childhood, MA.
Data Processing and Data Analysis, MA.
Delinquent Youth: Theory, Practice and Intervention, MA. 
Introduction to Social Psychology, BA. 
Scientific Thinking and Research Design, MA. 
Social Deviance and Delinquency, BA.
Violence among Youth: Options for Change, BA. 
Youth Delinquency, BA.

Participation in Scientific Conferences and Invited Talks: (Within the Past Five Years)

Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2015, September). Arab youth involvement in delinquency and political violence and parental control: The mediating role of religiosity. Paper presented at the conference: 15^th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology. Porto, Portugal.

Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2015, September). Understanding the mediating role of corporal punishment in the association between maternal stress, efficacy, co- parenting and children's adjustment difficulties among Arab mothers. Paper presented at the conference: Child Maltreatment in Context: The first Haruv International Conference. Jerusalem, Israel.

Massarwa, A., & Khoury-Kassabri, M., & Mishna, F. (2016, March). Cyber bullying perpetration by Arab youth: The direct and interactive role of individual, family, and neighborhood characteristics. Paper presented at the conference: The Importance of Human Aspects in Cyberspace Design, Jerusalem, Israel.

Mishna, F., & Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2016, March). ‘It just crept in’’: The Digital Age and Implications for Social Work Practice. Paper presented at the 6^th European Conference for Social Work Research: Reflective social work practices in contemporary societies. Lisbon, Portugal.

Khoury-Kassabri, M., Hendin, A. (2017, September). "Israli Hope in Academia": The Israeli case of diversity and partnership. Paper presented at the conference: "NAHOD"- National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. Washington, DC. (Keynote- invited talk).

Khoury-Kassabri, M., Massarwa, A. & Eseed, R. (2017, September). Arab adolescents' religiosity as a moderating factor in the association between peer delinquency and youth violence. Paper presented at the conference: 17^th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology. Cardiff, Wales.

Massarwa, A., & Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2017, September). The correlation between exposure to neighborhood violence and perpetration of moderate physical violence among Arab-Palestinian youth: Can it be moderated by parent–child support and gender? Paper presented at the conference: 17^th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology. Cardiff, Wales.

Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2017, September). The association between religiosity and Arab youth from East Jerusalem involvement in political. Paper presented at the conference: XLII CICA Conflict and Transcultural Dialogue. Madrid, Spain.

Khoury-Kassabri, M. & Ozacky-Lazar, S. (2018, September). Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education the Case of Palestinian Citizens of Israel. College of Staten Island. New York, NY. (Invited talk)

Khoury-Kassabri, M. & Ozacky-Lazar, S. (2018, September). Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education the Case of Palestinian Citizens of Israel. New York University. New York, NY. (Invited talk)

Khoury-Kassabri, M. & Ozacky-Lazar, S. (2018, September). Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education the Case of Palestinian Citizens of Israel. Columbia University. New York, NY. (Invited talk)

Khoury-Kassabri, M. & Ozacky-Lazar, S. (2018, September). Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education the Case of Palestinian Citizens of Israel. Queens College. New York, NY. (Invited talk)

Jeries L., Khoury-Kassabri, M., & Massarwa, A. (2018, September). Alcohol use among Arab Muslim adolescents: A mediation-moderation model of family, peer and community factors. Paper presented at the conference: 18^th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Mishna, F., Birze, A., Greenblatt, A., & Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2019, January). On telling about cyberbullying: triangulation of student, parent and teacher perspectives”. Paper presented at the conference: 23rd Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR). San Francisco, USA.

Khoury-Kassabri, M., & Hai-Attiass, M. (20109, January). Arab students in higher education: Challenges and opportunities. Graduate School of Education Stanford University. Stanford, USA (Invited talk).

Khoury-Kassabri, M., & Hai-Attiass, M. (2019, January). Diversity and Multiculturalism in Israeli Academia: Challenges and Opportunities for Arab Students. Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, USC. California, USA (Invited talk). 

Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2019, September). Arab youth involvement in delinquent and antisocial behaviors: Exploring Hirschi’s Social Bond Theory from a Qualitative perspective. Paper presented at the 19^th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology. Ghent, Belgium.

Eseed, R., & Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2019, September). Arab youth involvement in violence: A socio-ecological gendered perspective. Paper presented at the 19^th Annual Conference of the European Society of Criminology. Ghent, Belgium.

Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2019, Novmber). Juvenile delinquency and violence: Social-ecological factors.  Paper presented at 34^th FICE International Congress. Kiryat Ono, Israel (Keynote – Invited talk).

Khoury-Kassabri, M., & Zadok, I. (2019, November). Early childhood aggression: Individual and familial factors as mediators and moderators. China-Israel- Hong Kong Research Roundtable on “Social Work for Children and Family”. Peking University. Beijing, China (Invited talk).

Khoury-Kassabri, M. (November, 2019). Multiculturalism and social work. Paper presented at the Conference on “Multi-culturalism, Diversity and Social Work”. Beijing, China (Keynote, Invited talk).

Khoury-Kassabri, M. (January, 2020). Violence prevention: Social work research with Jewish and Arab populations in the Israeli Middle Eastern context. Paper presented at the conference:  24 ^th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR). Washington, DC, USA.

 List of Publications (Within the Past Five Years)

Chapters in Collections

Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2019). Palestinian Arab children involvement in school violence as victims and perpetrators (278-295). In M.M. Haj-Yahia, O. Nakash, & I. Levav (Eds.), Mental health issue of the Palestinian Arabs in Israel. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.

Massarwa, A., & Khoury-Kassabri, M. (Accepted). Risk and protective factors for Palestinian-Arab youth violence. In Nasser-Abualhija, F. & Israelashvili, M. (Eds.), Education in the Arab Society.

Khoury-Kassabri, M.,^PI  & Yechieli, T. ^PI (2020). Teachers' Career Tracks: the relationships between professional and personal development of teacher. In Mikulincer, M. & Parzanchevsky, R. (Eds.), Optimal management of professional development and training in the education system: Status report and recommendation (pp. 71 - 80) Jerusalem: The Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities.

Articles:

Attar- Schwartz, S., & Khoury-Kassabri, M., (2015). Indirect and verbal victimization by peers among at-risk youth in residential care. Child Abuse & Neglect, 42, 84-98.

Khoury-Kassabri, M., Khoury, N.,  & Ali, R.  (2015). Arab youth involvement in delinquency and political violence and parental control: The mediating role of religiosity. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 85 (6), 576 – 585.

Zur, I.,  Khoruy-Kassabri, M.,  & Braver, E., (2015). Cyber bullying among delinquent adolescents treated in the juvenile probation service. Journal of Welfare and Society, 36, 33-64. (Hebrew)

Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2016). Masculine and family honor and youth violence: The moderating role of ethnic-cultural affiliation. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 86 (5), 519.‏

Mishna, F., Khoury-Kassabri, M., Schwan, K.,  Wiener, J.,  Craig , W., Beran, T.,  Pepler, D.,  & Daciuk, J. (2016). The contribution of social support to children and adolescents’ self-perception: The mediating role of bullying. Children and Youth Services Review, 63, 120 - 127.

Mishna, F., McInroy, B. L., Lacombe-Duncan, A., Bhole, B., VanWert, M., Schwan, K., Birze, A., Daciuk, J., Beran, T.,  Craig , W.,  Wiener, J.,  Pepler, D.,  & Khoury-Kassabri, M., & Johnston, D. (2016). Study protocol: Prevalence, motivations, and social, mental health and health consequences of cyberbullying among school-aged children and youth: A longitudinal and multi-perspective mixed method study. JMIR Research Protocols, 10.2196/resprot.5292.

Attar- Schwartz, S., & Khoury-Kassabri, M., (2016(. The moderating role of cultural affiliation in the link between emotional closeness to grandparents and adolescent adjustment difficulties and prosocial behavior. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 86 (5), 564 – 572.  

Khoury-Kassabri, M., Mishna, F.,  & Massarwa, A. (2016). Cyber bullying perpetration by Arab youth: The direct and interactive role of individual, family, and neighborhood characteristics. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 1-27.

Massarwa, A., & Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2017). Serious physical violence among Arab-Palestinian adolescents: The role of exposure to neighborhood violence, perceived ethnic discrimination, normative beliefs, and parental communication. Child Abuse & Neglect, 63, 233-244.

Eseed, R., & Khoury-Kassabri, M., (2018). Alcohol use among Arab Muslim adolescents: A mediation-moderation model of family, peer and community factors. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 88 (1), 88 – 98.

Massarwa, A.,  & Khoury-Kassabri, M.,. (2018). The correlation between indirect violence and parent-child communication among Arab-Palestinian adolescents: Gender as moderator. Social Work Research. 

Fass, N. M.,  Khoury-Kassabri, M., & Koot, M. H. (2018). Associations between Arab mothers’ self-efficacy and parenting attitudes and their children’s externalizing and internalizing behaviors: Gender differences and the mediating role of corporal punishment. Child Indicators Research, 11(4), 1369-1387.

Khoury-Kassabri, M.,  & Schneider, H.  (2018). The relationship between participation in physical activity programs, and self-reported antisocial behavior among youths at risk. Child and Adolescent Social Work. 

Attar- Schwartz, S., Mishna, F., & Khoury-Kassabri, M., (2019). The role of classmate social support, peer victimization and gender in externalizing and internalizing behaviors among Canadian youth. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 8 (9), 2335–2346.

Massarwa, A., Khoury-Kassabri, M., & Eseed, R., (2019). The correlation between delinquent peers and perpetration of serious physical violence: Religiosity as a protective factor. Child Indicators Research, 12 (6), 2051-2065.

Khoury-Kassabri, M. (2019). Arab youth involvement in violence: A socio-ecological gendered perspective. Child Abuse & Neglect, 93, 128-138.

Khoury-Kassabri, M., Blit-Cohen, E., Shenhav-Goldberg, R., & Mishna, F. (2020). Social Worker’s use of informal information and communication technology in Israel. Social Security.

Reviewer for peer-reviewed journals (alphabetic order):

Aggressive Behavior.

American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.

American Sociological Review.

Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy.  

British Journal of Developmental Psychology.

British Journal of Psychology.

Child Abuse & Neglect.

Child and Family Social Work.

Children and Youth Services Review.

Child Indicators Research.

Dapim (Hebrew).

Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education.

Educational Research and Reviews.

Educational Studies.

European Journal of Psychology of Education.

Health Education Research.

Israeli Criminology (Hebrew).

Journal of Adolescence.

Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma.

Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology.

Journal of Community Psychology.

Journal of Educational Media, Memory and Society.           

Journal of Experimental Criminology.

Journal of Family Violence.

Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

Journal of Quantitative Criminology.

Journal of Welfare and Society (Hebrew).

Journal Review Department.

Justice Quarterly.

MAGAMOT (Hebrew).

Mifgash, Journal of Social-Educational Work (Hebrew).

PLOS ONE.

Psychiatry Research.

Psychology of Violence.

Social Issues in Israel (Hebrew).

Social Security (Hebrew).

Sociological Focus.

Violence and Victims.

Reviewer of research proposals: 
German-Israeli Foundation.
Israel Science Foundation.
United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation.
Joint UGC - ISF Research Grant.
Member of 25 review committees for doctoral students.