Associate Professor, Coordinator of Child Forensic Certification

E-Mail: MFanetti@MissouriState.edu

Phone: 417-836-6842

Office: Hill Hall 443

Education:

B.A., 1990, University of Missouri, Columbia; M.A., 1998, Clinical Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno; Ph.D., 1999, Clinical Psychology, University of Nevada, Reno

Teaching:

Introduction to Psychology; Forensic Psychology and the Child; Behavioral Management and Change; Child Behavior Disorders; Child Development; Abnormal Psychology; Assessing Child Sexual Abuse Victims; Power of Cultural Behavior; Externalizing Disorders of Children: ADHD, ODD & CD; History and Systems in Psychology; Human Sexuality

Research and Professional Interests:

Assessment of Child Sexual Abuse and Other Forensic Issues; Factors affecting judgments of guilt in judicial decision making; Acquisition of political and cultural power; Relationship between pseudoscientific and scientific communities

NOTE: Students who wish to do research with me should review the departmental thesis guidelines . The psychology department faculty passed these guidelines in the Fall of 2004.

Current Research Projects:

Effects of gender in decision of guilt in CSA cases; Effects of rapport in child forensic assessment; Effects of reinforcement in child forensic interviewing; Evaluation of Interview of Child Sexual Abuse Victims, Creation of structured Interviews for Child Sexual Abuse

Other Interests:

Playing with my 6 year old son and 8 month old daughter and writing fiction

Child Sexual Abuse Interview Evaluations

Child Forensic Psychology Certificate Program

The department of psychology is currently in the process of developing a training program for professionals who work with children who are or may have been victims or witnesses to crimes.  The program is being developed in cooperation with the Child Advocacy Center in Springfield and with the Greene County Prosecuting Attorneys Office.  When completed, it will entail a short series of courses which help the professional to understand the basics of child forensic psychology, important issues in child abuse and exploitation, and the things that child professionals must know to navigate through the judicial system while also protecting the child and the child's memory.  The student will be able to earn a certificate which demonstrates the acquisition of this knowledge. Though it is still being developed, we believe it should be ready for enrollment sometime in the 07-08 academic year.  We believe that groups who would benefit from this training are: Teachers, Counselors, Police Officers, Juvenile Officers, Child Protective Workers, and many others.

Postal Mail:

Psychology Department / Hill Hall
Missouri State University
901 South National Avenue
Springfield, Missouri USA 65897