Staff Profiles

Dr Charlotte Silke

B.A, M.Sc, Ph.D

Contact Details

Post Doctoral Researcher
UNESCO Child &
Family Research Centre
University of Galway
E: charlotte.silke@universityofgalway.ie

Biography

Dr Charlotte Silke is a postdoctoral researcher at the UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre. She holds a BA in Psychology and a Structured PhD in Child & Youth Research from NUI Galway, as well as a MSc in Applied Forensic Psychology from the University of York. Prior to joining the UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre, Charlotte worked as a postdoctoral researcher with the School of Psychology at NUI, Galway.

Dr Silke's primary research interest is in the area of child and youth research, with particular interest in youth well-being and in identifying the factors/strategies that can help promote positive social, emotional and civic development among young people. Dr Silke often takes an inter-disciplinary approach to her work, and has extensive experience collaborating with schools, youth organisations, and researchers from other fields. She is also familiar with both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, and has advanced quantitative research skills.

In addition to her research activities, Charlotte contributes to the teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate modules, including developmental psychology and research methods, and supervises a number of undergraduate and postgraduate research dissertations.

Research Interests

Dr Silke is primarily interested in research relating to youth well-being and civic engagement. Dr Silke is particularly interested in qualitative and quantitative research which examines the connections between youth's socio-cultural contexts (e.g. Home Life; School Life; Relationship with Friends/Peers; Community Connectedness; Cultural Norms; Engagement in Sports/Arts/Youth Clubs/Social Media etc.) and their social-emotional well-being and civic engagement. Dr Silke is also interested in identifying and evaluating strategies that can help promote better well-being, foster more positive social relationships, and cultivate greater social responsibility among young people, both nationally and internationally.

KEYWORDS: Stigma; Prejudice; Mental Health; Empathy; Social Norms; Civic Engagement; Prosocial Behaviour; Well-Being, Sexual Consent; Positive Youth Development; School Climate.

Peer Reviewed Journals

	Year	Publication
	(2024)	'Empathy rules, maps and paths: A qualitative exploration of the factors that facilitate or inhibit empathy and prosocial responding among youth' Charlotte Silke, Bernadine Brady, Pat Dolan & Ciara Boylan (2024) 'Empathy rules, maps and paths: A qualitative exploration of the factors that facilitate or inhibit empathy and prosocial responding among youth'. Journal Of Community Psychology, [DOI] [ARAN Link] [Details]
	(2024)	'Examining the relationship between adversity and suicidality and self-harm in Irish adolescents from 2020 to 2022' Charlotte Silke, Caroline Heary, Brendan Bunting, Carmel Devaney, AnnMarie Groarke, Emmet Major, Micheal Durcan, Bernadine Brady, (2024) 'Examining the relationship between adversity and suicidality and self-harm in Irish adolescents from 2020 to 2022'. Journal Of Affective Disorders, [Details]
	(2023)	'Activating Social Empathy: An evaluation of a school-based social and emotional learning programme' Charlotte Silke, Emer Davitt, Niamh Flynn, Aileen Shaw, Bernadine Brady, Clíona Murray & Pat Dolan a (2023) 'Activating Social Empathy: An evaluation of a school-based social and emotional learning programme'. Social and Emotional Learning, [DOI] [ARAN Link] [Details]
	(2023)	'Communication to promote and support physical distancing for COVID-19 prevention and control' Rebecca Ryan, Charlotte Silke, Anne Parkhill, Ariane Virgona, Bronwen Merner, Shauna Hurley, Louisa Walsh, Caroline de Moel-Mandel, Lina Schonfeld, Adrian Edwards, Jessica Kaufman, Alison Cooper , Rachel Kar Yee Chung, Karla Solo, Margaret Hellard, Gian Luca Di Tanna, Alisa Pedrana, Freya Saich, Sophie Hill (2023) 'Communication to promote and support physical distancing for COVID-19 prevention and control'. Cochrane Database Of Systematic Reviews, [DOI] [ARAN Link] [Details]
	(2023)	'Youth Suicide and Self-Harm: Latent Class Profiles of Adversity and the Moderating Roles of Perceived Support and Sense of Safety' Charlotte Silke, Bernadine Brady, Carmel Devaney, Cliodhna O¿Brien, Micheal Durcan, Brendan Bunting & Caroline Heary (2023) 'Youth Suicide and Self-Harm: Latent Class Profiles of Adversity and the Moderating Roles of Perceived Support and Sense of Safety'. Journal Of Youth And Adolescence, [Details]
	(2022)	'Stand up / Seas Suas: promoting peer awareness, empathy and helping among third level students' Bernadine Brady, Charlotte Silke, Ben Hughes & Jimmy McGovern (2022) 'Stand up / Seas Suas: promoting peer awareness, empathy and helping among third level students'. Pastoral Care In Education, [DOI] [Details]
	(2021)	'Associations Between non-parental Adult Support and Youths’ Individual and Contextual Characteristics' Mirkovic, B., Brady, B. & Silke, C. (2021) 'Associations Between non-parental Adult Support and Youths’ Individual and Contextual Characteristics'. Child Care In Practice, [Details]
	(2020)	'Empathy, Social Responsibility, and Civic Behavior Among Irish Adolescents: A Socio-Contextual Approach' Silke, C., Brady, B., Dolan, P & Boylan, C. (2020) 'Empathy, Social Responsibility, and Civic Behavior Among Irish Adolescents: A Socio-Contextual Approach'. Journal Of Early Adolescence, [ARAN Link] [Details]
	(2019)	'Relational dynamics in formal youth mentoring programmes: A longitudinal investigation into the association between relationship satisfaction and youth outcomes' Silke, C., Brady, B., & Dolan, P. (2019) 'Relational dynamics in formal youth mentoring programmes: A longitudinal investigation into the association between relationship satisfaction and youth outcomes'. Children And Youth Services Review, [ARAN Link] [Details]
	(2019)	'Social values and civic behaviour among youth in Ireland: The influence of social contexts' Silke, C., Brady, B., Dolan, P & Boylan, C. (2019) 'Social values and civic behaviour among youth in Ireland: The influence of social contexts'. Irish Journal Of Sociology, [ARAN Link] [Details]
	(2018)	'Factors influencing the development of empathy and pro-social behaviour among adolescents: A systematic review' Charlotte Silke, Bernadine Brady, Ciara Boylan & Pat Dolan (2018) 'Factors influencing the development of empathy and pro-social behaviour among adolescents: A systematic review'. Children And Youth Services Review, 94 :421-436 [DOI] [ARAN Link] [Details]
	(2017)	'The predictive effect of empathy and social norms on adolescents' implicit and explicit stigma responses' Charlotte Silke, Lorraine Swords & Caroline Heary (2017) 'The predictive effect of empathy and social norms on adolescents' implicit and explicit stigma responses'. Psychiatry Research, 257 :118-127 [DOI] [Details]
	(2016)	'The Development of an Empirical Model of Mental Health Stigma in Adolescents' Charlotte Silke, Lorraine Swords & Caroline Heary (2016) 'The Development of an Empirical Model of Mental Health Stigma in Adolescents'. Psychiatry Research, 242 :262-270 [DOI] [Details]

Book Chapters

	Year	Publication
	(2022)	'Unpacking Empathy' Charlotte Silke and Bernadine Brady (2022) 'Unpacking Empathy' In: ionbhá: The empathy book for ireland. Ireland: Mercier Press. [Details]

Conference Publications

	Year	Publication
	(2017)	*Do Sexual Consent Workshops Promote Positive Attitudes Toward Consent?* Charlotte Silke, Padraig MacNeela & Siobhan O'Higgins (2017) Do Sexual Consent Workshops Promote Positive Attitudes Toward Consent? [Details]

Published Reports

	Year	Publication
	(2024)	Adolescent Mental Health & Adversity: Profiles and Trends in the West of Ireland from 2018 - 2022. Charlotte Silke, Bernadine Brady & Caroline Heary (2024) Adolescent Mental Health & Adversity: Profiles and Trends in the West of Ireland from 2018 - 2022. UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre (, Ireland. [Details]
	(2022)	Youth mentoring as a supportive resource for young people involved with CAMHS: An exploratory study. Charlotte Silke and Bernadine Brady (2022) Youth mentoring as a supportive resource for young people involved with CAMHS: An exploratory study. UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre (, Ireland. [Details]
	(2022)	A Rapid Review of the Benefits and Outcomes of Universal Youth Work. Bernadine Brady, Charlotte Silke & Aileen Shaw (2022) A Rapid Review of the Benefits and Outcomes of Universal Youth Work. Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth on Youth Services, Ireland. [Details]
	(2021)	ACTIVATING SOCIAL EMPATHY - COMMUNITY PROGRAMME EVALUATION. Charlotte Silke, Petrina Mullen, Pat Dolan, Bernadine Brady and Sarah Haslam (2021) ACTIVATING SOCIAL EMPATHY - COMMUNITY PROGRAMME EVALUATION. UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre, Ireland. [Details]
	(2021)	Activating Social Empathy: Findings from the 2021 School Evaluation. Charlotte Silke, Emer Davitt, Niamh Flynn, Aileen Shaw & Pat Dolan (2021) Activating Social Empathy: Findings from the 2021 School Evaluation. UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre (, Ireland. [Details]
	(2021)	Executive Summary Section 12 Child Care Act. Rosemary Crosse, Leonor Rodriguez, Charlotte Silke & Carmel Devaney (2021) Executive Summary Section 12 Child Care Act. UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre (, Ireland. [Details]
	(2020)	Strengths & Challenges of the YAP Community Based Advocate Model: Key Findings. Brady, B., Devaney, C., Crosse R., Rodriguez, L., and Silke, C. (2020) Strengths & Challenges of the YAP Community Based Advocate Model: Key Findings. UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre, Galway. [Details]
	(2020)	A study of Tusla - Child and Family Agency¿s actions and decision-making process following An Garda Síochána¿s application of Section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991. Carmel Devaney, Rosemary Crosse, Leonor Rodriquez & Charlotte Silke (2020) A study of Tusla - Child and Family Agency¿s actions and decision-making process following An Garda Síochána¿s application of Section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991. UNESCO Child and Family Research Centre (, Ireland. [Details]
	(2020)	The strengths and challenges of the YAP community based advocate model. Brady, B., Devaney, C., Crosse R., Rodriguez, L., and Silke, C. (2020) The strengths and challenges of the YAP community based advocate model. UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre, Galway. [Details]
	(2019)	Empathy, social values and civic behaviour among early adolescents in Ireland: Scientific Report. Silke, C., Brady, B., Dolan, P & Boylan, C. (2019) Empathy, social values and civic behaviour among early adolescents in Ireland: Scientific Report. UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre, Galway. [Details]
	(2019)	Relational Dynamics in Youth Mentoring: A Mixed Methods Study. Silke, C., Brady, B., & Dolan, P. (2019) Relational Dynamics in Youth Mentoring: A Mixed Methods Study. UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre, Galway. [Details]
	(2019)	Empathy, Social Values and Civic Behaviour among Early Adolescents in Ireland: Policy and Curriculum Review and Key Informant Findings. Boylan, C. Brady, B., Silke, C. & Dolan, P. (2019) Empathy, Social Values and Civic Behaviour among Early Adolescents in Ireland: Policy and Curriculum Review and Key Informant Findings. UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre, Galway. [Details]
	(2019)	Empathy, social values and civic behaviour among early adolescents in Ireland: Composite Report. Silke, C., Brady, B., Dolan, P & Boylan, C. (2019) Empathy, social values and civic behaviour among early adolescents in Ireland: Composite Report. UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre, Galway. [Details]
	(2017)	Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of the SMART Consent Workshop on Sexual Consent for Third Level Students: Report Summary. Padraig MacNeela, Julie Breen, Elain Byrnes, Siobhan O'Higgins & Charlotte Silke (2017) Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of the SMART Consent Workshop on Sexual Consent for Third Level Students: Report Summary. NUIG, Galway. [Details]
	(2017)	Development, Implementation and Evaluation of the SMART Consent Workshop on Sexual Consent for Third Level Students. Padraig MacNeela, Julie Breen, Elaine Byrnes, Siobhan O'Higgins, Chiara Seery & Charlotte Silke (2017) Development, Implementation and Evaluation of the SMART Consent Workshop on Sexual Consent for Third Level Students. NUIG, NUIG. [Details]

Honours and Awards

	Year	Title	Awarding Body
	2020	Evidence Synthesis Ireland Fellowship	Evidence Synthesis Ireland

Professional Associations

	Association	Function	From / To
	Children's Research Network	Member	/

Employment

	Employer	Position	From / To
	UNESCO Child & Family Research Centre	Post-Doctoral Researcher	20-APR-17 /
	School of Psychology (NUI Galway)	Post-Doctoral Researcher	31-AUG-16 / 19-APR-17