Danielle Rousseau
Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice
Dr. Rousseau is a social justice researcher and practitioner. As a licensed therapist and certified yoga teacher, she has worked in the field of forensic mental health doing crisis response and victim advocacy, both in correctional facilities and in the community. Rousseau’s research, teaching, and practice focus on justice, trauma, gender, mental health, and mindfulness. She is an advocate of integrative, holistic approaches that support embodied self-care and resilience, and is the recipient of multiple research grants, including a grant from the Florida Blue Foundation to develop, implement, and evaluate an opioid-specific yoga and mindfulness curriculum. Rousseau’s work is published in many academic journals and texts, including Journal of Gender, Race & Justice, the Law and Society Review, and the Annals of the Academy of Political and Social Sciences, and she is currently editing a book on yoga and sexual violence. She received her MA in clinical forensic psychology and her PhD in criminology and justice policy and women’s studies.
Courses
- MET CJ 602 – Criminology
- MET CJ 660 – Gender and Justice
- MET CJ 703 – Research Methods
- MET CJ 720 – Trauma and Crisis Intervention
Scholarly Works
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Rousseau, D., Weiss-Lewit, K., and Lilly, M. “#MeToo and Yoga: Guidance for Clinician’s Referring to Trauma-Informed Yoga.” Journal of Clinical Sports Psychology 13, no. 2 (2019): 216–225.
Rousseau, D., and Cook-Cottone, C. “Trauma-informed yoga training in Kenya: A qualitative pilot study on feasibility and acceptability.” Complementary Therapies in Medicine vol. 40 (2018): 53-60.
Farrell, A., Ward, G., and Rousseau, D. “Intersections of gender and race in federal sentencing: Examining court contexts and the effects of representative court authorities.” Gender, Race & Justice 14, no. 1 (2010): 85-125.
Ward, G., Farrell, A., and Rousseau, D. “Does racial balance in workforce representation yield equal justice? Race relations of sentencing in Federal court organizations.” Law and Society Review 43, no. 4 (2009): 757-805.
Farrell, A., Ward, G., and Rousseau, D. “Race-effects of representation among federal court workers: Does black workforce representation reduce sentencing disparities?” The Annals of the Academy of Political and Social Science 623, no. 1 (2009): 121-133.
Book Chapters
McDevitt, J., Farrell, A., Rousseau, D., and Wolff, R. “Hate crimes: characteristics of incidents, victims and offenders.” In Victims of Crime, 4th ed., edited by R. Davis, A. Lurigio, and W. Skogan (Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2013).
Rousseau, D., and Silva, K. “Defining Deviance: The Rearticulation of Aileen Wuornos in Monster.” In Representations of the Serial Killer in Film and Television, edited by A. D’Costa (forthcoming).
Farrell, A., Ward, G., and Rousseau, D. “Race-effects of representation among federal court workers: Does black workforce representation reduce sentencing disparities?” In Race and Crime: A Text/Reader, edited by H.T. Greene and S. L. Gabbidon (New York: Sage, 2012).
Twyman-Ghoshal, A., and Rousseau, D. “From the American Dream to a Global Dream.” In Democracy Building, edited by William Bagtelas (2010).
McDevitt, J., Farrell, A., Rousseau, D., Wolff, R. “Hate crimes: characteristics of incidents, victims and offenders.” In Victims of Crime, 3rd ed., edited by R. Davis, A. Lurigio, and W. Skogan (Thousand Oaks: Sage, 2007).
Farrell, A., and Rousseau, D. “Discrimination.” In Encyclopedia of Police Science, edited by J. Greene (New York: Routledge, 2006).
Book Reviews
Book Review of Hard Time at Tehachapi: California’s First Women’s Prison by Kathleen A. Cairns. Western Historical Quarterly (winter 2010): 526-527.
Twyman-Ghoshal, A., and Rousseau, D. “Book Review: Reintegration of Rehabilitation: Making People Happy.” Review of Key Ideas in Criminology: Rehabilitation by Tony Ward and Shadd Maruna. Crime, Law, and Social Change 50, no. 4-5 (2008).
Other Publications
Ward, G., Farrell, A., and Rousseau, D. “Does Court Workforce Racial Diversity Yield Racial Justice?: Some Evidence from Federal Court Contexts.” NCJ 221890, NIJ-Sponsored (55 pages, 2008).
Farrell, A., McDevitt, J., Fahy, S., and Rousseau, D. “Human Trafficking: Issues and Trends.” Institute on Race and Justice Research in Brief (November 2006).
“Domestic Violence II.” Psycho-educational Class Curriculum, Bridgewater, Mass.: Forensic Health Services (2003).
“Domestic Violence I.” Psycho-educational Class Curriculum, Bridgewater, Mass.: Forensic Health Services (2003).
“Confronting Hate Crime: A Protocol for Addressing the Issue of Bias Motivated Crime Within a Local Police Department.” Unpublished manuscript, University of Denver (2002).
Presentations
“Mindfulness and Resilience: Examination of a Trauma Informed, Integrative Mindfulness Program as Implemented in Haiti.” Conference on Haitian Mental Health. Newton, Mass., May 2013. Co-presented with Jackson, E.
“Helping Women Heal: Trauma Informed Responses to Gender-Based Violence.” Gender-Based Violence, Advocacy, and Equitable Access Session. Natural Resource Distribution and Development in the 21st Century: Society for Applied Anthropology 73rd Annual Meeting, Denver, Colo., March 19-23, 2013. Co-presented with Jackson, E., and Wick, K.
Pezzullo, Jr., G.P., and Rousseau, D. “Race, gender and context in the criminal labeling of D.U.I offender.” American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., November 2011.
Jones, S.E., and Rousseau, D. “Holistic trauma informed care: Examination of the yogaHOPE Trauma Informed Mind Body (TIMBo) Program.” American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., November 2011.
Pezzullo, Jr., G., and Rousseau, D. “Race, Gender and Context in the Criminal Labeling of D.U.I. Offenders: The Influence of Extralegal Variables and Police Bias on Discretionary Plea Decisions.” Research and Scholarship Expo, Northeastern University, Boston, Mass., April 6, 2011.
Rousseau, D., and Pezzullo, Jr.. G. “Race, Gender and Context in the Criminal Labeling of D.U.I. Offenders: The Influence of Extralegal Variables and Police Bias on Discretionary Plea Decisions.” 2010 Symposium on Crime and Justice: The Past and Future of Empirical Sentencing Research. Poster Presentation, Albany, N.Y., September 2010. First Place, Young Scholar Paper Competition.
“The Experience of Federal Imprisonment for Women: A Historical Review of Women’s Federal Prisons.” American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, Penn., November 2009.
“Dualistically Deviant: The Construction of Psychopathy and Gendered Criminality in the film Monster.” American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, St. Louis, Mo., November 2008.
Pezzullo, Jr., G.P., and Rousseau, D. “The Criminal Construct: An Examination of Race, Gender, and Social Context on Plea Outcomes.” American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, St. Louis, Mo., November 2008.
Ward, G., Farrell, A., and Rousseau, D. “The Contextual Significance of Federal Courtroom Workgroup Racial Diversity on Sentencing Outcomes.” American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, November 2007, Atlanta, Georgia.
Rousseau, D., and Twyman-Ghoshal, A. “The Feminine Role in Collective Criminality.” American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, November 2007, Atlanta, Georgia.
Rousseau, D., and Ferrer, A. “Anti-GLBT Hate Crime Victimization, Attitudes, and Outcomes on an Urban College Campus: A Pilot Study.” American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, Calif., November 2006.
“Psychopaths in Popular Film: Examining the Construct of Psychopathy in the Film GoodFellas.” American Society of Criminology Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, Calif., November 2006.
Faculty Q&A
What is your area of expertise?
My expertise is at the intersection of mental health and criminal justice. My research, teaching, and practice focus on justice, trauma, gender, mental health, and mindfulness. I consider myself a social justice researcher and an advocate of integrative, holistic approaches that support embodied self-care.
You are currently working on a project with Florida Blue, part of the BlueCross BlueShield Association, and implementing a new treatment program for opioid addiction and mental health. Can you share more about this study?
In collaboration with Mental Health America and Yoga 4 Change, I recently received a grant to develop, implement, and evaluate a yoga-and-mindfulness-based curriculum to address the current opioid epidemic. Yoga 4 Change’s work offers a novel, low-cost, healthy way to treat trauma and improve mental and physical health by integrating physical movement with thematic teachings. These teachings are specifically developed for individuals who have experienced trauma. Yoga 4 Change currently serves four populations in the Jacksonville area—people who are incarcerated, veterans, those battling substance use, and youth. The program will be expanding over a three-year period to three new regions: Tampa, Orlando, and southern Florida, with a specific focus on opioid intervention.
How are research literature and your correctional programming work with Yoga 4 Change used to inform the curriculum?
The curriculum we are currently developing is rooted in the extant literature on both addiction and complementary and alternative treatment approaches. There is a growing amount of literature on the benefits of yoga and mindfulness in helping to support health and well-being. We use this literature, including experiential and empirical data, as our foundation.
The work is also specifically informed by a research grant I received from the Chartrand Family Fund. In 2018, we received funding to evaluate all of Yoga 4 Change’s correctional programming. We are still finalizing analyses, but results so far show that the Yoga 4 Change curriculum had many positive outcomes, including improvement in both health and sleep, healthy coping skills, forgiveness, self-compassion, emotional regulation, anger management, and post-traumatic growth. There was also a decrease in anxiety. We will use what we have learned through this initial study to inform our work with Florida Blue.
What drew you to this project? How did you become interested in this type of research?
I have been interested in yoga and mindfulness as complementary tools for healing for many years. In my clinical practice, I frequently integrated mindfulness-based practices. Working with individuals in crisis, especially in settings such as prisons, I saw the incredible power of breath as a tool in calming the stress response that regulates our autonomic nervous system. Yoga and mindfulness are also an integral part of my own self-care practice.
What do you predict the outcome of this study will be? How can the potential results of this study be applied to future substance abuse treatment plans?
Based on what we have seen with the Chartrand Family Fund study of Yoga 4 Change correctional programing, we expect positive results from the integration of our new curriculum into substance use disorder treatment. We expect that participants will learn tangible tools to help them in their recovery and, from what we have seen to date, that participants will share these tools with others. We predict that this program will support participants in building resilience. I also believe that what we are developing will result in programming that provides a significant cost reduction for health care systems.
What courses do you teach at BU MET?
I teach Trauma and Crisis Intervention (MET CJ 720), Forensic Behavior Analysis (MET CJ 725), Criminology (MET CJ 602), and Research Methods (MET CJ 703).
How do the lessons you teach extend beyond the classroom or apply to students’ lives?
I believe our field of study is exciting because of its applied nature and the capacity to bring the “real world” into the classroom. What we are doing has the potential to have significant impact every day. In my course assignments, I encourage students to think critically and become justice advocates. I always encourage students to use assignments as a way to dive deeper into an area of interest they may have. I also work to make assignments practical in ways that allow students to better understand the justice system, question injustice, and think about policy implications.
Before coming to BU, I worked in the field of forensic mental health as a therapist in correctional facilities and served communities doing crisis response and victim advocacy. I am a certified yoga teacher and do a lot of work in supporting empirically based strategies and best practices for using embodied mindfulness approaches as a complementary treatment approach. I bring all of this experience to the classroom. I also encourage students to pursue their research interests, and invite students to join me in my current research pursuits. I enjoy collaborating with students in research.
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone who is considering applying to this program?
Do what sets your soul on fire. Follow your interest and passion. When you do what you are passionate about, it does not feel like work. For me, that involves living in service and empowering others, advocating for equal access to justice, and combating the many wounds of trauma.
I would also emphasize the importance of self-care. If you take a class with me, you will quickly learn that I am a huge proponent of self-care. You cannot give what you do not have. You will not be truly successful in a graduate program or in this field if you do not engage in radical self-care.
Dr. Danielle Rousseau Integrates Trauma Awareness into Criminal Justice Teaching, Publications
(Source: December 2020 Issue of The Intel Brief, the eNewsletter for MET’s Criminal Justice Programs)
Trauma-informed approaches have not always been readily accepted within the field of criminal justice, in spite of a strong empirical base for the many long-term impacts that trauma has on both mental and physical health. While recognition of the importance of trauma-informed approaches is growing, we still have a long way to go.
I have noticed hesitancy from some students in recognizing the applicability of the study of trauma to their work in criminal justice settings. Many think the trauma and mental health focus of many of my courses are relevant only for those wishing to purse work in mental health. This is not the case at all. Trauma-informed approaches benefit all those working in criminal justice.
After taking my Trauma and Crisis Intervention (MET CJ 720) course, one student described the impact the course had on his work in the field. This student, a law enforcement officer, shared the story of an interaction while on duty. In response to a call, he was able to recognize that the woman in question was having a trauma response. Because of what he had learned in class, he was able to interact with her in what was for him an entirely different way. In a situation that would have typically resulted in an arrest and potentially escalated to violence, he was able to meet the woman where she was and ask her what he could do to support her. He stated: “I knew it was the trauma talking.” In shifting his approach, the officer was able to get the woman the help she needed and avoid an interaction that could have been retraumatizing and resulted in an unnecessary criminal justice intervention.
Trauma-informed approaches forefront safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration and trust. Simple tools such as a focus on predictability, consistency, and repetition can shape practices in a way that improves criminal justice interactions and promotes not only wellbeing but resilience. With trauma awareness, including a focus on the impact of vicarious trauma on justice practitioners, we have the potential to change the criminal justice field in very positive ways.
Your new book, Yoga and Resilience: Empowering Practices for Survivors of Sexual Trauma, and this semester’s Special Topics in Criminal Justice (MET CJ 510) course are dedicated to healing the consequences of sexual violence. Why is it important for criminal justice practitioners to equip themselves with these kinds of tools?
Sexual trauma devastates the whole person, families, relationships and communities, and its impacts are intergenerational. The mechanisms of power and control shape legislation and policy within systems. Our response to sexual trauma remains inadequate. Survivors face unique stigma. Victim-blaming is common. Crimes of sexual violence are vastly underreported, and even when reported, cases rarely proceed through the justice system. In spite of movement forward, we have a long way to go.
Trauma awareness becomes fundamental in changing how we respond to survivors of sexual violence. When we understand the impacts of trauma, we can better meet the needs of survivors. For example, understanding how trauma is processed in the brain can help law enforcement develop best practices for interviewing survivors. What might look like hostility or attempts to deceive may actually be the result of how traumatic memories are encoded. When we experience trauma, our memory is not encoded according to logic or temporal sequence. Survivors may not remember details, timelines or have words for their experience. If officers do not understand this, they risk further traumatizing survivors. Without an understanding of how traumatic memories are encoded, we risk accusing victims of false reporting, further distancing them from the support they need.
As editor, what was the criteria for the book? What varieties of approaches to empowerment and resilience are presented?
The importance of addressing the many impacts of sexual trauma is undeniable. This project works to give voice to survivors and create an environment that fosters resilience in the wake of trauma. Because many seek or are referred to yoga in the aftermath of sexual trauma—and acknowledging the fact that not all yoga is healing, and that yoga contexts themselves have the potential to be traumatizing—we recognized the need to explore best practices for offering yoga to survivors. The book is unique in its co-creative process, drawing on the expertise of leading experts in the fields of trauma response and yoga service. This text provides tangible tools, rooted in empirical and experiential data, that support those seeking to use yoga and mindfulness practices as a tool to address the physiological and psychological impacts of sexual trauma. This work is a call to both action and activism in addressing sexual trauma and violence. The text provides readers with a thorough understanding of the context of trauma and trauma-informed practice.
The text presents a variety of approaches and contexts for addressing the impacts of traumatic stress. Initial chapters provide a foundational understanding of trauma, and sexual trauma specifically. Subsequent chapters offer best practices for putting this work into the world. In Part 2, we provide general best practices, including for trauma-informed yoga and for working with survivors of sexual trauma, and relational wisdom for self-care, boundaries, and cultural humility. After these general approaches, we move into recommendations for specific populations and contexts.
Part 3 speaks to development, discussing specific work within the context of pregnancy and postpartum, and best practices for working with children and adolescents. Part 4 addresses identity and intersectional perspectives, including working with the gender and sexual minority community; men who are survivors; and elders and those with disabilities. Part 5 speaks to contexts of sexual trauma, including best practices for working with sexual trauma on college and university campuses, military sexual trauma, intimate partner violence, sex trafficking, working with incarcerated survivors, and abuse in religious, spiritual, and intentional communities. We conclude by looking forward via a discussion of what we can do within the yoga community to address sexual trauma and promote universally inclusive practices.
Can you explain vicarious trauma, and how you see it as impacting those who work in the field of criminal justice? What can an education on vicarious trauma mean for someone who works with incarcerated or at-risk individuals?
Vicarious trauma occurs after one is exposed to another person’s or group’s experience of trauma. We absorb the trauma that we witness professionally. Vicarious trauma can affect both mental and physical wellbeing. If professionals on the frontlines of trauma are not aware of the impacts of traumatic stress and do not have active strategies for self-care, vicarious trauma can lead to burnout.
Informed by my clinical background, I take a strength-based, trauma-informed approach to support the holistic wellbeing of my students. In the criminal justice program, we work with students who are on the frontlines of justice work—law enforcement, first responders, and mental health professionals, among others. I teach my students about vicarious trauma and the fundamental importance of radical self-care in sustaining the work of justice. This teaching is rooted in both my clinical background and applied research, including curriculum development and program evaluation. Recognizing students as whole beings allows me to empower them on their paths as scholars, educators, practitioners, and justice advocates. Understanding trauma and developing strategies for self-care and wellbeing allows our students to sustain their work as changemakers in this field.
What can you tell us about the traumatizing element of our prison systems, as it relates to corrections or rehabilitation? Beyond being a “scary” outcome for law-abiding citizens, what are some of the aftershocks of incarceration, for the individual or their community, and how might they be mitigated?
Carceral settings are both traumatizing and retraumatizing. Intersectional disparities in incarceration are pervasive, so not all individuals and communities experience the impacts of incarceration in the same way. For example, Black men are treated far more punitively than other populations. Even when legal factors are considered, Black men are more likely to be sent to prison and, when sentenced, receive longer terms. These disparities exist at all points of the criminal justice process. The collateral consequences are far reaching, impacting not only the individual but families and communities, often for generations.
Many times, within correctional settings, contexts and practices are not trauma-informed and, in fact, carceral practices can trigger trauma responses. Solitary confinement, strip searches, and loud noises can all elicit a trauma response. It is important to bring trauma awareness into carceral settings. Even when security protocols are necessary, it is possible to carry out procedures in a more trauma-informed way.
The carceral environment also has a negative impact on those who work in the system. Both direct experiences and vicarious trauma take a toll on correctional employees. Correctional employees are more likely to die by suicide and have higher-than-average rates of substance use. We need to radically shift our focus to wellbeing and supporting practices of self-care.
As criminal justice researchers and practitioners, we have an ethical commitment to advocate for social justice. This includes integrating trauma awareness and trauma-informed practices. Social justice should be our focal point and we must advocate for systemic change. As scholars and practitioners, we should be leaders working towards empowered change.
MET is dedicated to being a hands-on learning environment for students. Can you tell us about instances in which you have been able to partner or collaborate with students on meaningful field work?
I include students in my projects, providing them a first-hand experience of research methodology and practice and including them as co-authors whenever possible. As a scholar and educator, my goal is to empower students with a sense of purpose and encourage them to advocate for change. Being involved in the research process allows students to understand the importance of empirical rigor and experience the real-world impact of scholarship.
With a clinical background and as a member of the Department of Applied Social Sciences at Boston University Metropolitan College, much of my work is practical and applied. Both my teaching and research are directly related to the field, and specifically the intersection of criminal justice and mental health. I value the applied nature of my work, and see the impact that it has on my students. My teaching and research are informed by the service work I am passionate about. My pedagogical approach and assignments include a focus on collaborative work and real-world applications. My students have been able to work with me through community partnerships with organizations such as Yoga 4 Change. I also encourage service-based work and community collaboration in my classroom assignments, allowing students to connect with social justice work in the field. My goal as a scholar-educator is to engage my students in the work of social justice through a collaborative, real-world, trauma-informed, and strength-based approach. My hope is that this is what I consistently bring to BU.
What advice do you have for new students?
Be engaged and think critically. Take an active role in your education. Find your passion.
Also, do not be afraid to reach out to the Boston University Criminal Justice faculty and facilitators, they have a wide array of experience and expertise. Take advantage of this invaluable resource and explore interests you have in common.