Biography
Vitoria De Francisco Lopes is a second year Ph.D. student specializing in Criminal Justice Policy Studies at the University of Mississippi, where she previously earned her Master of Criminal Justice (M.C.J.) degree. She previously worked as a Juvenile Probation Officer with Florida’s Department of Juvenile Justice.
Her research focuses on juvenile justice, judicial decision-making, and labeling theory. Vitoria has held the position of Graduate Research Assistant since 2020, contributing to projects on adverse childhood experiences, child delinquency, and the implications of minimum age policies on law enforcement behavior.
Vitoria's work is published in journals, including Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, Crime & Delinquency, and the American Journal of Criminal Justice (Vitoria’s Google Scholar). She has also presented her research at various national and regional conferences.
As a Graduate Instructor, Vitoria teaches courses on criminal behavior theories, and contributes to online capstone courses in criminal justice.