SAFELab
The SAFELab is a research initiative focused on examining the ways in which youth of color navigate violence on and offline.
Drawing on computational and social work approaches to research, we engage in qualitative and natural language processing methods to understand the mechanisms of violence, joy, and grief—and how these things show up online. We examine how to support youth of Color in navigating grief & violence in social media environments. Additionally, SAFELab is dedicated to researching innovative methods to promote joy and healing in digital contexts.
Established at Columbia University's School of Social Work, SAFELab relocated in 2022 to the University of Pennsylvania, where it is affiliated with the School of Social Policy and Practice and the Annenberg School for Communication.
Check Out Our New Work!
Check out our Neighborhood Navigator site, a collaboration with the NYC Mayor's Office.
Our People
Led by Dr. Desmond Upton Patton and Dr. Aviv Landau, SAFELab has a number of staff and fellows at the University of Pennsylvania as well as a network of co-investigators and affiliates.
Desmond Upton Patton, M.S.W., Ph.D.
Brian and Randi Schwartz University Professor
Aviv Landau, Ph.D., M.S.W.
Co-Director, SAFELab
Siva Mathiyazhagan, Ph.D., M.S.W.
Associate Director, SAFELab
Shana Kleiner, L.M.S.W.
Lab Manager, SAFELab
Recent Publications
Community Implications for Gun Violence Prevention During Co-occurring Pandemics; A Qualitative and Computational Analysis Study
Preventive Medicine
September 2022
Social Work in Metaverse: Addressing Tech Policy Gaps for Racial and Mental Health Equity
Preprint
September 2022
Developing Machine Learning-Based Models to Help Identify Child Abuse and Neglect: Key Ethical Challenges and Solutions
Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association
March 2022
First-of-Its-Kind Study Analyzes Digital Mourning Practices of Gang-Affiliated Youth
A study led by Prof. Desmond Patton explores how gang-affiliated Black youth use Twitter content, photos, and emojis to memorialize the deceased and navigate feelings of grief and loss.
