santo headshot

Jonathan Bruce Santo

Professor of Psychology, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Chapter Member: Nebraska SSN
Areas of Expertise:

About Jonathan

Santo serves as director of the graduate Developmental Psychology program and faculty member in the Office of Latino/Latin-American Studies at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Most of his research focuses on the impact of peer relations on child and adolescent development, with emphasis on the importance of friendships as a source of social support. Santo also studies cultural differences in factors related to self-esteem as well as classroom-level influences. Ultimately, his research is aimed at improving the lives of children and adolescents by fostering supportive school environments and encouraging positive peer relationships.

Contributions

In the News

Opinion: "How Friends Buffer the Link Between Bullying and Sleep Problems," Jonathan Bruce Santo, Psychology Today, November 15, 2022.
Opinion: "Aggressive Children Too, Can Be Victimized in the Classroom," Jonathan Bruce Santo, BOLD, August 2, 2022.
Opinion: "Teaching Kids Social Responsibility – Like How to Settle Fights and Ask for Help – Can Reduce School Bullying," Jonathan Bruce Santo (with Josafa da Cunha), The Conversation, June 15, 2021.

Publications

"School (Socie)ties: Individual and School Level Differences in the Association Between Ethnic/Racial Victimization and Academic Functioning" (with Josafa da Cunha). Frontiers in Education 8 (2023).

Investigates the impact of race-based victimization on academic functioning in a nationwide sample of Brazilian youth. Results indicate that ethnic/racial victimization had a significantly negative relationship with academic functioning, with detrimental effects even after accounting for other forms of victimization.