Areas of Interest and Expertise
- Effect of early traumatic experiences on behavioral, mental, and relational health of adolescents and young adults
- Intersections of gender ideologies and youth bullying/interpersonal violence
- Sociocultural and ethical dimensions of AI use and education in social work
- Trauma-informed, socially just, and healing-centered research framework
- Qualitative and quantitative methods
Education
- BA, Seoul National University
- MSW, University of Michigan
- PhD, Case Western Reserve University
Bio
Dr. Hyunjune Lee’s research agenda focuses on understanding the developmental effects of early adversities on individuals, especially among minoritized/marginalized populations. His research examines how childhood violence exposure and other adverse experiences shape young people’s behavioral, relational, and mental health across adolescence and the transition to adulthood, including violent and aggressive behaviors such as bullying, intimate partner violence, as well as substance use involvement. Taking an intersectional perspective, he is also interested in examining the roles that race, socioeconomic status, and stereotypical gender ideologies such as hegemonic masculinity and normative femininity have in these relationships. His work draws on both qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine these questions from complementary angles.
Another focus of Dr. Lee’s work is the promotion of social justice and equity through how social work research is conducted. In line with this goal, he co-developed the Trauma-Informed, Socially Just Research (TISJR) framework that draws from the intersectional framework, trauma-informed principles, and healing-centered engagement to minimize power differentials between the researchers and participants and acknowledge the institutional harms and historical trauma experienced through research by participants with marginalized/minoritized identities and backgrounds.
Extending this same commitment into an emerging domain, Dr. Lee also studies the sociocultural and ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence in social work and allied disciplines, with particular attention to questions of access, equity, and ethical use in the education and preparation of future practitioners.
Awards
- Build Healthy Relationships to End Violence (BHREV) BRIDGE Lab (2026):
- Selected for a national mentorship program designed by the BHREV sector of the Grand Challenges for Social Work to support early-career scholars in advancing research on violence prevention and building bridges between scientific inquiry and translational practice.
- Jean B. Rayfield Award for Outstanding Contributions to the Students (2025)
- Frank R. Egan Award for BSW Teaching and Mentoring (2024)
- Office of Social Work Research Pilot Grant Award (2024)
- Project Title: Understanding Artificial Intelligence Literacy and Ethical Competence Among College Students in the Social Sciences: A Comprehensive Mixed-Methods Investigation
- Office for Research and Economic Development Small Grants Award (2024):
- Project Title: Understanding the Construction of Femininity and Its Link with Bullying Among Adolescent Girls Using a Trauma-Informed, Intersectional Lens
- Center for Substance Use Research and Related Conditions Pilot Funding Award (2024)
- Project Title: Investigating the Link between Expanded Childhood Adversities and Substance Use in Young Adulthood: Uncovering Resilience Pathways
Selected Publications
Montoya, C., Voith, L. A., Withrow, A., Lee, H., Russell, K., & Xia, T. (Accepted). Protective and Promotive Factors for Healthy Peer Relationships Among Adolescents: A Systematic Review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse.
Lee, H., McKinney, S., Voith, L. A., Warr, R., & Bailey, B. (2026). Construction of fatherhood among socioeconomically disadvantaged and predominantly Black fathers: A grounded theory study. Family Process, 65(1), e70133. Construction of Fatherhood Among Socioeconomically Disadvantaged and Predominantly Black Fathers: A Grounded Theory Study
Walker, A. P., Banks, L., Gibbs, D. J., Lee, H., & Lee, H. Y. (2026). Generative artificial intelligence use among social work students: The role of perceived utility and knowledge. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 23(1), 177-192.
Lee, H., Withrow, A., Voith, L., & Ticozzi, M. (2025). When Violence Breeds Violence: A Systematic Review of the Association between Violence Exposure and Youth Bullying Perpetration. International Journal of Bullying Prevention, 1-23.
Voith, L.A., Russell, K., Lee, H., Hamler, T., Ortega-Williams, A., Xia, T., Korsch-Williams, A., Francis, M., & Jamal, A. (2025). Enacting antiracist practices in research through healing-centered engagement. Journal for the Society of Social Work Research.
Lee, H., Gillani, B., & Voith. L. A. (2025). Navigating masculinities and bullying: perspectives of violence-exposed adolescent boys. Children & Society. https://doi.org/10.1111/chso.12980
Withrow, A., Voith, L. A., Russell, K. N., Burkhart, K., Korsch-Williams, A. E., & Lee, H. (2025). Exploring approaches to mental health treatment and the critical role of partnerships among hospital-based violence intervention programs. Social Work in Public Health, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/19371918.2025.2467392
Russell, K., Xia, T., Voith, L. A., & Lee, H. (2024). Randomized controlled trials aimed at reducing adolescent dating violence: A brief review of Russell et al. Health Science & Education.
Russell, K. N., Withrow, A., Voith, L. A., Vernon, C., Lee, H., & McKinney, S. (2023). Exploring low-income, Black fathers’ strengths and barriers to positive change using qualitative methods. Family Relations. [Impact Factor: 1.879]
Voith, L.A., Russell, K., Lee, H., Salas Atwell, M., McKinney, S., Thomas, T., & Barksdale, E.M. (2023). Using grounded theory to develop a theory of change for a violence intervention program. Evaluation & Program Planning. [Impact Factor: 1.886]actor: 1.211]