I am constantly involved in studying human psychological development on the variety of topics. One of my research preferences is to study how domestic violence against women and children is affecting their future development. Recently, we implemented research project on identity and post-traumatic growth in female survivors of intimate partner violence. Currently, we started UNCOVABUSE project, aimed at investigation of prevalence of different forms of childhood abuse in Lithuanian emerging adults (based on retrospective data), and development of Simulated Interview Software for investigative interviews in alleged child sexual abuse cases.
I am a professor at the Institute of Psychology, at Mykolas Romeris University (MRU). Also, I am a Head of the Applied Psychology Research Laboratory at MRU. I have the expertise, leadership, and motivation for the implementation of the UNCOVABUSE project, as I already acted as principal investigator in a number of other cross-sectional and longitudinal projects. Outcomes of my research are presented in research papers. Selection of the references is available at http://rzukausk.home.mruni.eu/
In addition to my research work, I am also involved in teaching and supervising PhD students; number of them already successfully defendend their PhD Thesis. I was also actively involved as the principal organizer (Conference Chair) of international large-scale conferences, such as for XIV European Conference on Developmental Psychology (2009), 12th Biennial Conference of the European Association for Research on Adolescence (2010), and the 24th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development (2016). I was a President of the European Association for Research on Adolescence (EARA) (2016-2018). Currently, I am a Member of Executive Committee of the International Society for the Study of Behavioral Development (ISSBD).
I am a doctor of Social Sciences. My main research interests are related to the re-offending risk assessment, offender’s supervision, as well as career development and work motivation.
I am experienced in scientific project management and in national, international events organization. Since 2007 till 2011 I have been a main working group member working on translation and adaptation of United Kingdom risk assessment tool of recidivism (OASys) for Prison Department under the Ministry of Justice of The Republic of Lithuania (commissioned by the Prison Department under the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania). Since 2015 till 2020 I have been one of the main working groups member of national research projects: “The relationship between personality traits and criminal risk factors in a sample of incarcerated violent offenders“ (MIP-004/2015/LSS-250000-1031) (2015 – 2017); “Risk and Protective Factors as Predictors of Delinquent Juveniles’ Behavior” (P-MIP-17-149) (2017 – 2020). As a researcher I participated in several international research projects such as “EU KIDS ONLINE II”, “EU KIDS ONLINE III”, etc. I was a Lithuanian representative of international networks (e. g. UPSIDE, Early researcher’s union of ESDP) and a member of several organizing and scientific committees of international and national conferences: “Domestic Violence Cause, Consequences and Management” in 2019 (grant holder), IATSO (International Association for the Treatment of Sexual Offenders) in 2018, etc. Since 2012 till 2016 I was a representative of Lithuania in the COST Action No. IS1106 “Offender Supervision in Europe”. Currently, I am the Chair of the Legal Psychology Committee and a Board member of Lithuanian Psychologists’ Association.
As a developmental psychology scientist, I am interested in the developmental paths of adolescents and emerging adults analyzing various individual and relational antecedents and outcomes. In my research I am also interested in the various forms of abuse and how these experiences currently and in the past may affect psychological adjustment of young people.
I am an Associate Professor in the Institute of Psychology and hold a senior research position at Applied Psychology Research Laboratory at the Mykolas Romeris University. In the UNCOVABUSE project, which aims to investigate child sexual abuse and develop a training module for child abuse investigators, I am particularly interested in the life-time prevalence of childhood abuse and possible adjustment correlates in emerging adulthood.
My main research interests are related to child interviewing and child sexual abuse. In my doctoral research I am investigating how interviewers emotionally respond to provided details by allegedly abused children and how interviewers can effectively develop interviewing skills and maintain them over time.
Currently I am holding a research position at the Applied Psychology Research Laboratory at the Mykolas Romeris University in a scientific project UNCOVABUSE.
I am actively cooperating with scientists from other countries and I was responsible for writing a project and inviting an internationally recognized expert prof.dr. Pekka Olavi Santtila to MRU, which was financed by Lithuanian Research council in 2019, and in 2021 two more projects for inviting prof. dr.
Pekka Olavi Santtila and dr. Shumpei Haginoya to Mykolas Romeris University got approved.
I participated in a project “Who, Where, What. Supporting Witness Children Orphans from Femicide in Europe. DAPHNE (JUST/2011-2012/DAP/AG/3242)“. I conducted qualitative research with women victims who experienced femicide, that is, lost their mothers in killing by a father, while being still under the age of 18.
Also, I have competence in the chosen field as a practitioner, as I am constantly involved in interviews with minors who experienced some form of abuse, write conclusions to the court, participate in court hearings as a witness expert.
I am a member of Lithuanian Psychologists Association, Lithuanian Professional Psychologists Union, European Association of Psychology and Law.
As a psychology scientist, I am interested in how difficult or even traumatic life experiences affects person and what factors are associated with more adaptive and maladaptive recovery process. In my doctoral research I am investigating positive changes (posttraumatic growth) in the aftermath of intimate partner violence.
I hold research position at the Applied Psychology Research Laboratory at the Mykolas Romeris University. I recently joined UNCOVABUSE project, and my research includes investigation of life-time prevalence of childhood sexual abuse in Lithuania and development of Simulated Interview Software for investigative interviews in alleged sexual abuse cases.
I am actively trying to improve my scientific and practical knowledge by participating in various trainings for psychology professionals and researchers. I have some international collaboration experience participating in an international project “Towards gender harmony” (https://towardsgenderharmony.ug.edu.pl/) led by Poland researchers. Also, I am a member of Lithuanian Psychological Association, Lithuanian Trauma Psychology Association, and European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.