Mackenzie Sprecher
Biography
Mackenzie Sprecher dedicated and driven social work and social justice scholar with a strong educational foundation and diverse experience in research and community engagement. Her research area is focused on addressing social issues related to the detection and prevention of hate-based targeted violence, including the pathway to violence, youth radicalization, and right-wing extremism in the United States. She is also interested in the relationship between social media and it's effects on opinion formation, community building, and real-life relationships. Mackenzie strives to make a tangible impact on the lives of individuals and communities by engaging in translation research and collaborating with community partners to develop realistic solutions to complex problems.
Degrees and Certifications
· BASW, Michigan State University
· MSW, Wayne State University
Recent Publications
· Sprecher, M., Larson, M., Layton, K., Russ, R., Hicks, M. (2024). Examining potential extralegal factors leading to out-of-home placement for first time status offenders in a large urban county. Crime and Delinquency. [Accepted, awaiting publication].
· Sullivan, C.M., Guerrero, M., Simmons, C., López-Zerón, G., Ayeni, O., Farero, A., Chiaramonte, D., & Sprecher, M. (2023). Impact of the Domestic Violence Housing First model on survivors’ safety and housing stability: Twelve month findings. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605221119520
· Goodman-Williams, R., Simmons, C., Chiaramonte, D., Ayeni, O., Guerrero, M., Sprecher, M., Sullivan, C.M. (2023). Domestic violence survivors housing stability, safety and well-being over time: Examining the role of Domestic Violence Housing First, social support and material hardship. JAMA Network Open. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000686
· Clements, K.A.V., Sprecher, M., Modica, S., Terrones, M., Gregory, K., & Sullivan, C.M. (2022). The use of children as a form of intimate partner violence and its relation to survivors’ mental health. Journal of Family Violence, 37, 1049–1055. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-021-00330-0
· Sprecher, M., Comartin, E. (2025, January). Factors associated with endorsing hateful content online among adolescents and young adults in the United States. [Poster presentation, accepted for Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR), Seattle, WA, United States]
· Sprecher, M., Sullivan, C.M., Guerrero, M., Fernandez, A., Simmons, C. (2023, June). The mental health impact of having children used as an abuse tactic [Poster presentation]. Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), Denver, CO, United States.
Pronouns
She/her/hers