• Associate Professor, Psychology – School of Arts and Social Science
• Recipient of the Grenfell Campus Engagement Award 2017-18

 

Contact Information:

• On sabbatical from September 1st, 2025 to August 31st, 2026
• Phone: (709) 639-2740
• Email: bholfeld@mun.ca

 

Research interests/expertise:

• The key objective of my program of research is to foster healthy relationships for children, adolescents, and young adults in online and offline environments. I study the role of digital technology (e.g., cyber bullying, social media, video gaming, sexting, cyber dating violence) in the social and emotional development of children, adolescents, and young adults.  

Teaching

• I teach survey courses in developmental and social psychology (PSYC 2025 and 2125), and contemporary issues courses in developmental and social psychology (PSYC 3025 and 3125).
• I also teach a required course in Introduction to Psychology II (PSYC 1001), an elective course in Forensic Psychology (PSYC 2150), Senior Seminar in Psychology (PSYC 4925), and Independent Project in Psychology (PSYC 4950).  
• I typically supervise honours student projects and I am willing to take up to two students each year.

 

Representative scholarly contributions

Sample of Selected Publications (since 2017)

Martin-Storey, A., Dirks, M., Holfeld, B., Craig, W., Paquette, G., Exner-Cortens, D., Zaine, Y-L., & Morgan, R. (in press). Linking cissexist and heterosexist violence and sexual violence among adolescents and young adults: A scoping review of the quantitative literature. Aggression and Violent Behavior, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2026.102138

Dryburgh, N. S. J.*, Martin-Storey, A., Craig, W. M., Holfeld, B., & Dirks, M. A. (2025). Quantifying toxic friendship: A preliminary investigation of a measure of victimization in the friendship of adolescents. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 40(7-8), 1800-1823. doi: 10.1177/08862605241265418  

Leung, E., St. Onge-Shank, C.*, Holfeld, B., Brake, C.*, Poole, A.*, Konishi, C., & Craig, W. (2024). A scoping review of the social ecological factors that promote healthy dating relationships during adolescence. Current Psychology, 43, 24054-24079. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-024-06129-8 

Holfeld, B., Mishna, F., Craig, W., & Zuberi, S.* (2024). A latent profile analysis of the consensual and non-consensual experiences among adolescents. Youth and Society, 56(4), 713-733. doi: 101177/0044118X231202814 

Morrison, K. E.*, Hymel, S., Craig, W., Dirks, M., & Holfeld, B. (2023). Teen perceptions of adolescent dating violence. Journal of Adolescence, 95, 1348-1364. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12206 

Ruthig, J. C., Kroke, A., & Holfeld, B. (2022). Anticipating academic performance and feedback: Temporal shifts in unrealistically optimistic performance estimates and primary and secondary control strategies. Social Psychology of Education, 25, 55-73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-021-09675-2 

Martin-Storey, A., Dirks, M., Holfeld, B., Dryburgh, N.*, & Craig, W. (2021). Family relationship quality during the COVID-19 pandemic: The value of adolescent perceptions of change. Journal of Adolescence, 93, 190-201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.11.005 

Holfeld, B., & Mishna, F. (2021). The development of post-traumatic stress symptoms among adolescents who experience cyber and traditional victimization over time. Journal of Youth and Adolescence Special Issue: Youth Exposure to Online Risks: Theory, Predictors, and Consequences, 50(12), 2339-2350.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01394-3 

Holfeld, B., & Baitz, R.* (2020). The mediating and moderating effects of social support and school climate on the association between cyber victimization and internalizing symptoms. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 49(11), 2214-2228. doi: 10.1007/s10964-020-01292-0 

Holfeld, B., Stoesz, B., & Montgomery, J. (2019). Traditional and cyber bullying and victimization among youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Investigation of the frequency, characteristics, and psychosocial correlates. Journal on Developmental Disabilities, 24(2), 61-76.  

Holfeld, B., & Mishna, F. (2019). Internalizing symptoms and externalizing problems: Risk factors for or consequences of cyber victimization? Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 48(3), 567-580. doi: 10.1007/s10964-018-0974-7

Holfeld, B., & Leadbeater, B. J. (2018). The inter-related effects of traditional and cyber victimization on the development of internalizing symptoms and aggressive behaviors in elementary school. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 64(2), 220-247. 

Holfeld, B., & Mishna, F. (2018). Longitudinal associations in children’s involvement as victimized, bullying, or witnessing cyber bullying. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 21(4), 234-239. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2017.0369 

Holfeld, B., & Leadbeater, B. J. (2017). Concurrent and longitudinal associations between Early adolescents’ experiences of school climate and cyber victimization. Computers in Human Behavior, 76, 321-328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.07.037 

Holfeld, B., & Sukhawathanakul, P.* (2017). Associations between internet attachment, cyber victimization, and internalizing symptoms among adolescents. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 20(2), 91-96. 

Leadbeater, B. J., Sukhawathanakul, P.*, Holfeld, B., & Temple, J. R. (2017). The effects of continuities in parent and peer aggression on relational intimate partner violence in the transition to young adulthood. Prevention Science, 18(3), 350-360. doi: 10.1007/s11121-017-0757-5

Note. * Indicates an undergraduate or graduate student at time of submission or publication. 

Current research projects and grants

• Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) 2023 – 2025

Title: Building Capacity to Prevent Gender-Based Violence – Development and Evaluation of Evidence-Based Tools for Canadian Educators

Role: Co-investigator 

• SSHRC Knowledge Synthesis Grant 2023 – 2024

Title: Addressing the overlap between sexual violence, and sexuality and gender-based minority stressors: Advancing understanding by centering 2SLGBTQIA+ adolescents and young adults

Role: Collaborator 

• SSHRC Insight Development Grant 2021 – 2024

Title: An examination of the protective effects of resilience in children’s early experiences of cyber victimization

Role: Principal Investigator 

Awards and recognitions

• Recipient of the Grenfell Campus Engagement Award 2017-18

Honours, graduate and post-graduate supervision

Honours Theses

• Fall/Winter 2024-25 Tianna Brake: I know what you did last summer!
• Fall/Winter 2024-25 Vicky Quao: The push and pull of social media
• Fall/Winter 2023-24 Kaley Burry: What’s the deal with cyber dating violence?
• Fall/Winter 2023-24 Rebecca Goulding: Why Instagram?
• Fall/Winter 2022-23 Susan Graham: Understanding how technology is used in adult relationships
• Fall/Winter 2021-22 Soumya Jain: To emoji or not to emoji?
• Fall/Winter 2021-22 Rebecca Sherstobetoff: How and why we use TikTok
• Fall/Winter 2020-21 Abigail Poole: Making it work: What’s important in romantic relationships?
• Fall/Winter 2020-21 Heather Collins: Smartphones and social networking site use: Does it really matter?  
• Fall/Winter 2019-20 Sara Ford: The impact of online experiences across social networking platforms
• Fall/Winter 2018-19 Sophia Hewitt: The impact of smartphone technology use on adults’ face-to-face relationships