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Social & Behavior

Updates every hour. Last Updated: 23-Oct-2026 11:17 ET (23-Oct-2026 15:17 GMT/UTC)

National study finds violence affects millions across US with links to health, economic hardship

Tulane University
Reports and Proceedings

A new national study finds violence touches the lives of millions of Americans, with particularly high rates among women and people facing economic instability. Researchers found intimate partner violence has affected six in 10 women and nearly half of men, while recent violence was strongly associated with eviction, homelessness, mental health challenges and substance use. The first-of-its-kind national survey provides a new baseline for understanding who is most at risk and helping guide future violence prevention efforts.

Thousands of most vulnerable children and young people missing out on mental health support

University of Cambridge
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Some of the most vulnerable children and young people are failing to get access to mental health support despite much higher levels of need, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. Despite children and young people on child protection plans or in care being significantly more likely to have serious mental health issues, less than one in five of these individuals had contact with mental health services in a given year.

Journal: Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Funder: British Academy

Chatty chatbots can mislead users, but verification tools help, researchers find

Penn State
Peer-Reviewed Publication

As artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbots become more popular and more human-like in the way they communicate, users are increasingly turning to them as trusted sources of information on topics ranging from personal finance to health. That may be problematic, according to Penn State researchers, who found in a recent study that the more conversational an AI chatbot is, the more likely users will trust it — even when it shares misinformation. The team said verification options may help rebuild needed skepticism.

Journal: Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication

Autistic children ages 4-6 showed improved social skills after summer program conducted by UB’s Institute for Autism Research

University at Buffalo
Peer-Reviewed Publication

A summer intervention program for autistic children ages 4-6 with no intellectual disability significantly improved their social performance, according to a study by researchers at the Institute for Autism Research (IAR) at the University at Buffalo.

Journal: Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Oughton to receive funding for project on space weather satellite risk characterization and socio-economic impacts

George Mason University
Grant and Award Announcement

Edward Oughton, Associate Professor, Geography and Geoinformation Science, College of Science, is set to receive funding for the project: “Collaborative Research: AI-enabled, Uncertainty-Aware Space Weather Risk Characterization and Mitigation for Satellite Operations.”

Funder: National Science Foundation

Chen adapting the family and group conferencing model to care families of persons living with dementia

George Mason University
Grant and Award Announcement

Li-Mei Chen, Gerontologist, Department of Social Work, College of Public Health, received $75,000 from Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Center on Aging for “Circles of care: Adapting the Family and Group Conferencing Model to care families of persons living with dementia.”

Funder: Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Center on Aging

How high turnover rates in Tanzania’s agro-dealer sector affect farmer fertilizer adoption

College of ACES at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Peer-Reviewed Publication

Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa adopt agricultural inputs including fertilizer at a low rate, contributing to low agricultural productivity. Previous research has shown that insufficient information and distrust in the quality of products for sale in local markets are among the reasons for low rates of fertilizer adoption and application. In a new study, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers examined the agricultural marketplace in Tanzania, finding that frequent turnover among local agro-dealers affect farmer perceptions of product quality and have implications for broader market functioning.

Journal: American Journal of Agricultural Economics

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