We wrapped up 8 weeks of the Playing for Change program at Lockwood Elementary in Oakland! Students built skills in self-control, teamwork, and decision-making through interactive lessons and games. Proud of the impact and grateful to everyone who made it possible. 💙 #RRRLab #Oakland

🚀 Starting Tomorrow! Join THU Digital Health from March 4 to 6 for a virtual summit advancing digital therapeutics across healthcare, tech, and the creative industries. We’re thrilled to have Jennifer Skeem presenting on Friday! Register here: www.trojan-unicorn.com/initiative/d...

Data meets compassion. Tala Aljoubori, a 2nd year at UC Berkeley, aims to use data to understand social behavior, biology, and emotional development. Through URAP and YEDI, she’s building skills in community-based, qualitative, and quantitative research. #URAP #YEDI #UCBerkeley #RRRLab

From student support to legal advocacy. 🤍 Keylin Vasquez now serves as a Relations Coordinator, guiding individuals through urgent, time-sensitive legal situations with care and clarity. RRR and P4C built the skills she carries into her work every day. #WhereAreTheyNow #RRRAlumni

Violence prevention in state hospitals starts with systems. With the Department of State Hospitals-Napa, we developed Trauma-Informed Verbal De-escalation (TID) training to address institutional risk factors and improve safety. Learn more: risk-resilience.berkeley.edu/psychiatric-...

Driven, passionate, and all about impact. Marlene Gomez is a research assistant for the Playing for Change program, supporting students in building social-emotional skills. She’s a UC Berkeley senior committed to advancing education equity. 🌟 #PlayingforChange #FuturePolicyLeader #Berkeley

From the RRR Lab to Figma 🚀 Miranda is now a Data Scientist at Figma and a recent graduate of Harvard’s MS in Data Science program. Her journey in the RRR Lab shaped how she approaches data, collaboration, and real-world impact. We love seeing our alumni thrive. 💙 #WhereAreTheyNow #DataScience

🎮 Game on at Franklin Elementary! We kicked off Playing for Change, where students learn to cool down “hot moments,” hit pause before reacting, and make smart choices when it matters most. New school, new chapter. Let’s play, learn, and grow together, Franklin! 💙 #P4C #Oakland #YouthResilience

Halfway through Playing For Change at Lockwood STEAM Academy 🎉 Big ideas, thoughtful conversations, and meaningful growth so far. We’re thankful to be partnering with the Lockwood STEAM community and excited for what’s ahead! #PlayingForChange #LockwoodSteam #YouthDevelopment #GameBasedLearning

The semester kicked off with training for our new Playing For Change research assistants! The training prepared RAs with the core tools, techniques, and practices they’ll use throughout the semester to support students and the P4C model. #PlayingForChange #UCBerkeley #ResearchLife

Meet Belisse! A Psychology senior at UC Berkeley and part of the Playing for Change program. From video games to tournament days, she loves seeing kids apply emotional regulation skills when it matters most. Big impact, real moments, powerful growth. #PlayingForChange #P4C #YouthEmpowerment

Built at Berkeley. Leading at Georgetown. Former Lab Manager and P4C team member Mason Muñoz is now a Lab Manager at Georgetown’s Lab for Relational Cognition. #WhereAreTheyNow #RRRLab #PsychResearch #UCBerkeley

The lab is buzzing again! 🐝 All our team are officially back from winter break today, and they brought stories from all over the globe. Check where they've been! So glad to have the whole crew back together. Let’s have a great semester! 🎓✨ #TeamUpdate #RRLab #LabLife #WinterBreak #GlobalTeam

Join us March 4–6 for this virtual summit. Experts are gathering from healthcare, tech, and the creative sectors to push digital therapeutics forward - grounded in empathy, evidence, and real-world impact. Registration info here: www.trojan-unicorn.com/initiative/d... #DTx #HealthTech #THU

The game is officially on in Oakland! 📍 Now active at Lockwood Steam Academy, P4C is helping students master their "tilt." We're building self-control and community, one game at a time. Learn more: risk-resilience.berkeley.edu/playing-for-... #Innovation #EdTech #BehavioralHealth #Oakland #P4C

Happy New Year from the Risk-Resilience Lab! As we head into 2026, we're looking forward to sharing new research, stories from the field, and insights on justice and safety. Want to stay in the loop? Sign up for our quarterly newsletter. 📩 Subscribe here: risk-resilience.berkeley.edu/newsletter/

Happy holidays from the Risk-Resilience Lab! We're wrapping up a year of hard work and meaningful partnerships. We're grateful for our research team, community partners, and collaborators who make our work possible. Wishing you rest and renewal this season. 💛✨ #HappyHolidays #RiskResilienceLab

Wrapped up an incredible P4C season at Grant & Highland Elementary! Students built self-control through videogames, learning to pause and reflect in hot moments. Expanding to 3 Oakland Unified schools this Spring! 🎮 #PlayingForChange #SeriousGames #RiskResilienceLab #YouthWellbeing #UCBerkeley

Winter gathering with the Risk Resilience Lab ❄ Good food, great people, and a guess-the-song-by-personality game that turned out to be a crowd favorite 🎶 Research is better when the team feels connected. #RiskResilienceLab #LabLife #AcademicJoy #ResearchCommunity #TeamMoments

Meet Ale! Longtime member of the Risk Resilience Lab & 2nd yr Ph.D. student in Psychology (Engineering Track) at Oregon State. She studies AI, cognition, and human-centered design. Fun fact: she loves thrift shopping, concerts, and finding new food spots! #MeetTheTeam #psych #Playing4Change

We’re analyzing how California makes parole decisions and whether the process is fair and consistent. Our work combines live hearing observations, transcript coding, and data analysis to understand the factors that shape outcomes. Learn more: risk-resilience.berkeley.edu/structuring-...

Meet Anissa Yu! Second-year Sociology & Economics major at #UCBerkeley assisting with the Risk Resilience Research Lab. She loves translating research into human-centered stories and collaborating with the team. Fun fact: she enjoys photography, jazz piano, and traveling! #meettheteam

Happy Thanksgiving from the Risk Resilience Lab! We're incredibly grateful for our dedicated team, invaluable partners, and steadfast supporters. Your commitment fuels our work in building safer, stronger communities. Wishing you a holiday filled with rest, joy, and meaningful connections. 💛🦃✨

Meet Pearl Chen! Third-year Psychology & Public Health major at #UCBerkeley assisting with Playing for Change. She loves connecting with students & seeing them grow. She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Fun fact: she loves spontaneous trips, concerts, and photography! #playing4change

Our trauma-informed de-escalation training at DSH-Napa proved effective: violence decreased, staff confidence increased, 9.2/10 rating. Based on these results, we expanded in 2025: 6 more units trained, 125 staff assessed, 2 new trainers. 🔗 risk-resilience.berkeley.edu/psychiatric-hospital-safety/

Meet Maryam Ghazzali! Senior Psychology major at #UCBerkeley assisting with Playing for Change. She loves collaborating with the team & watching youth grow through the program. She plans to pursue a PhD in Clinical Psych. Fun fact: she loves exploring urban spaces & making snacks! #playingforchange

Can structured tools make parole decisions fairer? We're analyzing 21K+ CA parole hearings to identify racial & socioeconomic disparities and testing whether evidence-based frameworks can improve equity without compromising safety. 🔗 Link: risk-resilience.berkeley.edu/structuring-parole-decisions/

Meet Andrew Dai! Andrew is the Data Analyst for Playing for Change, a science-based program that uses a competitive video game to build social and learning skills in youth. Andrew turns player data into game updates that improve learning and well-being. #MeetTheTeam #UCBerkeley #PlayingForChange

Juvenile fees project in Alameda County: 2,401 youth. Fee repeal cut family obligations ~70% (~$1,583) and shortened probation ~4 months. No change in re-arrest. Read the paper in Law and Human Behavior: psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?d... #JuvenileJustice #FeeRepeal #evidencebased #ucberkeley

Project Feature: Self-Perception of Risk In 574 psychiatric inpatients, a single self-rating question predicted self-harm/violence within ~2 months - more accurately than clinician judgment and on par with formal tools. Read more here: risk-resilience.berkeley.edu/self-percept... #CrisisCare

🔦 Saturday Spotlight: Flashback to our 2023 Criminology & Public Policy article (ASC ’25 finalist). Detention recommendations were 34% higher for Black vs White; ~79% of the gap is policy-driven (esp. criminal history). Read: doi.org/10.1111/1745... #PretrialJustice #PolicyImpact #Criminology

Meet Our Team: Jishan Jiang She’s a UC Berkeley senior in Legal Studies & Data Science. She's the Data Manager for our lab. She’s interested in the human side of tech and digital workers behind AI. Looking ahead: PhD in Info Science or Sociology focusing on studying science, technology and society.

Honored our 2023 paper on pretrial detention disparities was a finalist for ASC’s 2025 Joan Petersilia Outstanding Article Award. Key takeaways: 34% higher detention-recommendation rate for Black vs. White defendants; most disparity flows through policy factors. Read more: doi.org/10.1111/1745...

Meet JaVon Jamarr Hampton! #UCBerkeley Cognitive Science junior and D-I long jumper with Cal Athletics. In our lab he supports therapeutic interventions and research for Playing for Change. “I joined to get meaningful, hands-on experience.” His favorite game? #Minecraft. #MeetTheTeam #UCBerkeley

Project Feature: What happens when counties repeal justice fees? In Alameda County, ending fees cut debt ~69% (~$1,616) and shortened probation ~2 months with no rise in re-arrests. Total sanctions still relate to re-arrest. Learn more at risk-resilience.berkeley.edu/adult-fee-repeal #FeeRepeal

Meet Thijs Doornbos, the programmer of un-TILTED!, a competitive after-school game that builds self-control. He built the game + backend. He tuned the competition so players care, not tilt. “Games shaped me... this is my chance to give back.” #PlayingForChange #SeriousGames #YouthWellbeing

Author insight: Dr. Luyi Jian of #UAlbany, coauthor on our preprint about prosocial identity. Compassion may be the protective signal. “For lower-risk youth, emphasizing compassion and contribution may be more effective than focusing mainly on rule-following.” Read: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Stephanie Samson just hit one year as our full-time research assistant. Behind the scenes, she keeps programs on track and coordinates with families as we test a science-based, video game–supported program called Playing for Change #YouthWellbeing #gamesforchange #ResearchImpact #p4c

We are honored work we were involved in on community treatment is featured in Psychiatric Services’ Editors’ Choice, “Community Correctional Care.” Engagement in community services links to lower short-term reoffending. #EditorsChoice Explore the collection: psychiatryonline.org/ps/editorsch...

New preprint: Prosocial identity - especially caring for others - predicts lower 1-yr recidivism (N=958). Not moderated by moral internalization, self-efficacy, or social support. 📄 Read More: ssrn.com/abstract=553... #JuvenileJustice #ProsocialIdentity #EvidenceBased #umass #ualbany #recidivism

Risk Resilience Lab Director Jennifer Skeem joined the PPIC Prop 36 Innovation Day Workshop, helping shape a research agenda on reform impacts. Proud to advance evidence-based policy for safer, healthier, more just communities. #JusticeReform #PublicPolicy #CommunitySafety

Back in Richmond, CA for a new season of Playing 4 Change with our RA team and new players. P4C builds self-control after school: we train with un-TILTED! and apply skills in tournaments in other games. Learn more: risk-resilience.berkeley.edu/playing-for-... #YouthWellbeing #UCBerkeley #p4c

Stay Connected with Risk-Resilience. Quarterly updates with research highlights, lab stories, and announcements. Each issue is a snapshot of the work shaping the future of risk and resilience delivered right to your inbox just 4x a year. 📩 Sign up: risk-resilience.berkeley.edu/newsletter/

Meet Christian Fernandez! (& Princess!) Christian is a 4th-year Sociology major & transfer at UC Berkeley. He joined Playing for Change to work with youth & gain research experience. 💬 “I love connecting with kids - their joy reminds me of our impact.” #UCBerkeley #PlayingForChange #MeetTheTeam

📢 Upcoming Webinar! Join Jennifer Skeem, Gina Vincent PhD & Josh Weber for Youth Protective Factors Study: Key Findings on Risk-Reduction Services 🗓 Sept 24, 12–1:15pm ET. Register: tinyurl.com/YPFS-Webinar #ProtectiveFactors #ImproveYouthOutcomes

How can we better support youth while improving public safety? Our 3rd brief from the Youth Protective Factors Study shares findings on what drives reoffending among justice-involved youth ages 10–23. 🔗 doi.org/10.13028/m19... #JuvenileJustice #YouthJustice #EvidenceBasedPolicy #PublicSafety

💡 Featured Project: Cognitive Behavioral Intervention (CBI) We tested adding a CBI to usual services for justice-involved people with mental illness. In RCTs, CBI reduced re-offending when delivered with high fidelity and completed. Learn More: risk-resilience.berkeley.edu/cognitive-be... #CBI

Meet Anabel. Lab Manager for the Risk-Resilience Lab. UC Berkeley Psych major + Education minor. “Working on Playing for Change, my favorite part is witnessing growth and progress - week after week.” Future plans? Grad school in School Psychology. #UCBerkeley #MeetTheTeam #SchoolPsychology

🎮 Meet un-TILTED! A fast-paced game co-created with youth and rooted in science. It looks like the games they love while helping them “think slower” in heated situations, in games and in life. 🔗 Learn more: risk-resilience.berkeley.edu/playing-for-... #SeriousGames #YouthEmpowerment #SocialImpact

In the News 📰 Our faculty director Dr. Jennifer Skeem joins KQED’s The Latest to talk evidence-based responses to mental health crises - co-responder teams, crisis-intervention training, and smarter 911 triage. Listen here: youtu.be/tcegpv7d4WI #MentalHealth #PublicSafety #EvidenceBased