Faculty Research Featured in New York Times

December 10, 2018
Jennifer Copp

Research by College of Criminology and Criminal Justice Professor Jennifer Copp was recently cited in the New York Times article, “Late to Launch: The Post-Collegiate Struggle.” The Times article addresses the strain that many young adults encounter when they try to find job prospects that mesh with their idealized version of the post-college world.

As the article discusses the lack of ideal job prospects for recent college graduates, it naturally discusses the increase in young adults moving back into their parents’ home. The article explains that the percentage of ages 25-29 moving back to their family home has increased by 6% – going from 17% in 2007 to 23% in 2018.

Though the move back home is often viewed as a setback, it can also be harmful to the well being of emerging adults.

Cited in the Times article, Dr. Copp’s research, entitled “Living with Parents and Emerging Adults’ Depressive Symptoms,” found that returning to a parent’s home was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms among young adults experiencing employment problems.

To read “Late to Launch: The Post-Collegiate Struggle” in its entirely, please visit the New York Times webpage.

To read Dr. Copp’s full article, “Living with Parents and Emerging Adults’ Depressive Symptoms“, please click here.

Jennifer E. Copp received her Ph.D. in Sociology from Bowling Green State University. Her work focuses on crime and other problem behaviors during adolescence and young adulthood, with a particular emphasis on intimate partner violence (IPV). Her recent research explores the role of anger as a mediator of the association between neighborhood disadvantage and IPV. Other work examines the complex interplay of neighborhood disadvantage, normative climates, and economically related conflicts as influences on IPV within the context of young adult relationships.