Research
Dr. Shaffer’s research centers on the assessment and management of both general and specialized forms of violence and criminal behavior. Her work explores the links between mental and personality disorders and criminal conduct, and promotes evidence-based practices for working with individuals who engage in crime.
She has co-authored over 60 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, professional manuals, technical and government reports, and assessment tools, and has delivered more than 100 presentations across 12 countries at international conferences, academic institutions, and law enforcement agencies.
Dr. Shaffer is a co-author of the Adolescent Risk Reduction and Resilient Outcomes Workplan (ARROW), a risk management and treatment planning guide currently implemented in Canadian criminal justice settings with thousands of adolescents involved in general, violent, and sexual offending each year. She has also co-authored specialized risk assessment tools, including those for intimate partner violence among adolescents (lead author) and gang involvement (co-author).
In recognition of her scholarship on medical assistance in dying (MAiD) and mental disorder, Dr. Shaffer was invited to serve on the Canadian Psychological Association’s Task Force on Medical Aid in Dying. The task force was commissioned in response to federal legislation decriminalizing MAiD, and examined the eligibility of individuals with mental disorders and mature minors, as well as the evolving role of psychologists in this area.
Open-access copies of Dr. Shaffer’s publications, technical reports, and presentations are available through Google Scholar, Academia.Edu, ResearchGate, or SFU Summit.
Dr. Catherine S. Shaffer, Ph.D., C.F.C.P. 