Autumn Bermea

Autumn M. Bermea is an assistant professor in Human Development and Family Science within the Human Sciences department.

She has 19 peer reviewed publications in journals including Journal of Community Psychology, Journal of Family Psychology, and Journal of Interpersonal Violence. She is the recipient of the Best Student/New Professional Paper award at the Theory Construction and Research Methodology preconference of the National Council on Family Relations, the Jessie Bernard Contribution to Feminist Scholarship Paper Award, and Student Award from the National Council on Family Relations for this work.

She is the incoming student/new professional representative for the feminism and family studies section of the National Council on Family Relations.

• PhD, Family Science and Human Development, Montclair State University, 2019
• MS, Family and Child Studies, Texas State University, 2015
• BS, Family and Child Development, Texas State University-San Marcos, 2014

Her research focuses on social justice and the role of privilege in intimate partner violence (IPV) in the queer community. Her work centers on four main themes:

• How experiences of minority stress impact IPV
• The role of contextual factors in leaving abusive relationships and accessing responsive services
• The influence of intersectional identities (e.g., race, socioeconomic status) on experiences of IPV
• Developing theory in IPV to reflect the above factors, specifically feminist theory, intersectionality, and queer theory

She also holds methodological expertise in qualitative methodologies including content analyses, grounded theory, phenomenology, QUAL + qual-mixed methods and thematic analysis.

• Bermea, A. M. (2017). Inclusivity in service provision for queer survivors of intimate partner violence. Clinical Research Institute Themed Issue Grants. Smith College School for Social Work ($5,285).

• Bermea, A. M.,Khaw, L., Hardesty, J. L., Rosenbloom, L., & Salerno, C. (in press). Mental and active preparation: Examining variations in women’s processes of preparing to leave abusive relationships. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. doi: 10.1177/0886260517692332
• Bermea, A. M.,Lardier Jr., D. T., van Eeden-Moorefield, B., Garcia-Reid, P., & Reid, R. J. (in press). Gang presence in low income urban communities and substance use among Hispanic youth. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse. doi: 10.1080/15332640.2018.1489749
• Khaw, L., Bermea, A. M., Hardesty, J. L., Saunders, D., & Whittaker, A. (in press). “The system had choked me too”: Abused mothers’ perceptions of the custody determination process that resulted in negative custody outcomes. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. doi: 10.1177/0886260518791226
• Bermea, A. M., van Eeden-Moorefield, B., & Khaw, L. (in press). Developing diversity, inclusion, and social justice in service provision for queer survivors of intimate partner violence. Targeted: Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services
• Bermea, A. M., Forenza, B., Rueda, H. A., & Toews, M. L. (2019). Resiliency and adolescent motherhood in the context of residential foster care. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 36(5), 459-470. doi: 10.1007/s10560-018-0574-0
• Bermea, A. M., Lardier Jr. D. T., Forenza, B., Garcia-Reid P., & Reid, R. J. (in press). Communitarianism and youth empowerment: Motivation for participation in a community based substance abuse prevention coalition. Journal of Community Psychology, 47(1), 49-62. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22098
• Bermea, A. M., van Eeden-Moorefield, B., Bible, J., & Petren, R. E. (2019). Undoing normativities and creating family: A queer stepfamily’s experience. Journal of GLBT Family Studies, 15(4), 357-372. doi: 10.1080/1550428X.2018.1521760
• Forenza, B., Lardier, D.T., Reid, R., Garcia-Reid, P., & Bermea, A.(2019). Exploring community stress and empowerment among stakeholders and youth in an urban community. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 29(6), 705-721. doi: 10.1080/10911359.2019.1592734
• Lardier, D. T., Bergeson, C., Bermea, A. M., Herr, K., Forenza, B., Garcia-Reid, P., & Reid, R. J. (2019). Community coalitions as spaces for collective voice, action, and the sharing of resources. Journal of Community Psychology, 47(1), 21-33. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22096
• Petren, R. E., Lardier Jr., D. T., Bible, J., Bermea, A. M., & van Eeden-Moorefield, B. (2019). Parental relationship stability and parent-adult child relationships in stepfamilies: A test of alternative models. Journal of Family Psychology, 33(2), 143-153. doi: 10.1037/fam0000481
• Bermea, A. M.,van Eeden-Moorefield, B., & Khaw, L. (2018). Intimate partner violence among bisexual women: A content analysis and directions for future research. Journal of Bisexuality, 18(4), 399-424. doi: 10.1080/15299716.2018.1482485
• Bible, J., Bermea, A. M.,van Eeden-Moorefield, B., Few-Demo, A., & Benson, K. (2018). A content analysis of the first decade of the Journal of GLBT Family Studies. Journal of GLBT Family Studies, 14(4), 337-355. doi: 10.1080/1550428X.2017.1349626
• Bermea A. M.,& Toews, M. L. (2018). “She controlled everything that I’d do:” A qualitative exploration of relationship abuse experienced by adolescent fathers. Partner Abuse, 9(4), 362-378. doi: 10.1891/1946-6560.9.4.362
• Forenza, B., & Bermea, A. M., & Rogers, B. E.(2018). Ideals and reality: Perceptions of healthy and unhealthy relationships among foster care alumni. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 35(3), 221-230. doi: 10.1007/s10560-017-0523-3
• Bermea, A.M., Rueda, H. A., & Toews, M. L. (2018). Queerness and dating violence among adolescent mothers in foster care. Affilia: A Journal for Women and Social Work, 33(2), 164-176. doi: 10.1177/0886109917737880
• Bermea, A. M., Toews, M. L., & Wood, L. W. (2018). “Students getting pregnant are not gonna go nowhere”:  Stigma and the educational experiences of adolescent mothers. Youth and Society, 50(3), 423–436. doi: 10.1177/0123456789123456
• Lardier, D. T., Bermea, A. M., Pinto, S., Garcia-Reid, P. & Reid, R. J. (2017). The relationship between sexual minority status and suicidal ideation among urban Hispanic adolescents: A primer for counseling practitioners and researchers.  Journal of Gay and Lesbian Mental Health, 11(3), 174-189. doi: 10.1080/15538605.2017.1346491
• Forenza, B., & Bermea, A. M. (2017). An exploratory analysis of unhealthy and abusive relationships for adults with serious mental illnesses living in supportive housing. Community Mental Health Journal, 53(6), 679-687. doi: 10.1007/s10597-017-0141-8
• Toews, M. L., & Bermea, A. M. (2017). “I was naive in thinking, ‘I divorced this man, he is out of my life’”: A qualitative exploration of post-separation power and control tactics experienced by women. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 32(14), 2166–2189. doi: 10.1177/0886260515591278

• Bermea, A. M., Khaw, L., & van Eeden-Moorefield, B. (2019, November). Navigating intimate partner violence services as a parenting queer youth in the context of homelessness. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations, Fort Worth, TX
• Bermea, A. M., Matera, K., & van Eeden-Moorefield, B. (2019, November). A queer analysis of legal protections for transgender and gender nonconforming survivors of intimate partner violence. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations, Fort Worth, TX
• Bermea, A. M., Norton, R. T., & Khaw, L. (2019, November). Discussions on religion and leaving abusive relationships: A discourse analysis. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations, Fort Worth, TX
• Bermea, A. M., van Eeden-Moorefield, B., & Khaw, L. (2019, November). Developing diversity, inclusion, and social justice in service provision for queer survivors of intimate partner violence. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations, Fort Worth, TX
• Bermea, A. M., & van Eeden-Moorefield, B., & Bible, J. (2018, November). Queer Stepfamilies and diverse pathways in former partner interactions. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Council on Family Relations, San Diego, CA.
• Bermea, A. M.,van Eeden-Moorefield, B., & Khaw, L. (2017, November). Queer theory in family science: Theorizing the undoing of heteronormativity. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Theory Construction and Research Methodology conference, Orlando, FL.
• Bermea, A. M., Rueda, H. A., & Toews, M. L. (2017, April). Adolescent relationship conflict and dating violence at the intersection of queerness, motherhood, and residential foster care. Poster presented at the biannual meeting of the Society for Research on Child Development, Austin, TX.
• Bermea, A. M., Barrios, V., Rueda, H. A., & Toews, M. L. (2017, February). Towards an understanding of trauma informed care for adolescent mothers in residential foster care. Paper presented at the 34th Annual Winter Roundtable. Columbia University Teachers College. New York, NY. 
• Bermea, A. M., Lardier Jr., D. T., Garcia-Reid, P., & Reid, R. J. (2016, November).  “Keep going, keep fighting, keep trying”: The impact of urban community member involvement in a substance abuse coalition. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association, Denver, CO.
• Bermea, A. M., & Toews, M. L. (2016, July). “You’re a boss and she treated you like a bitch”: Intimate partner violence victimization and masculinity in adolescent fathers. Poster presented at the biannual International Family Violence and Child Victimization Research Conference, Portsmouth, NH.
• Bermea, A. M.,& Toews, M. L. (2016, April). A qualitative exploration of the power and control tactics experienced by adolescent fathers. Poster presented at the biannual meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, Baltimore, MA.  
• Bermea, A. M., Toews, M. L., & Wood, L. (2016, March). "Life's tough, but anything's possible": The influence of stigma and support on the parenting experiences of adolescent mothers. Poster presented at the biannual meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, Baltimore, MA.