Background

Dr. Prinz attended UCLA and then completed the Bachelor of Arts in psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. He received his doctorate in psychology with a specialty in clinical psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Beginning in 2020 under his leadership, Dr. Prinz established the UofSC Research Center for Child Well-Being (RCCWB) as principal investigator of an NIH/NIGMS COBRE grant, in partnership with Co-Director Dr. Michael Beets. The RCCWB conducts prevention research impacting the well-being of children ages 2 to 10, with the dual goal of: (1) reducing risk for social, emotional, and behavioral problems, and (2) decreasing unhealthy lifestyle behaviors.

Dr. Prinz is the principal investigator and Co-Director (with mPI Dr. Beets) of the UofSC’s longest funded NIH T32 predoctoral research training program—the UofSC Behavioral-Biomedical Interface Program (BBIP). BBIP provides extensive training to excellent students in epidemiology, exercise science, and psychology doctoral programs.

Dr. Prinz is the co-founder (in collaboration with Dr. Thomas Ollendick, Virginia Tech University) of the Springer scientific journal Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, and served as Co-Editor-in-Chief from 1998 to 2023.

Research

The major research interests for Dr. Prinz concern prevention science and the well-being of children. His research focuses extensively on understanding, preventing, and reducing behavioral-health related problems in children and families. Currently, his scientific work and leadership have culminated in the RCCWB, which is built on concerted efforts of a diligent cadre of investigators joining together two spheres of prevention pertaining to children: (1) social-emotional, mental health; and (2) healthy lifestyle and non-obesogenic behavior. His research has addressed parenting interventions, prevention of child maltreatment, assessment of child and parent behaviors, parental substance use, and violence prevention.

Representative Publications

Sanders, M. R., Clague, D., Zając, T.,...Prinz, R. J., & Burke, K. (2024). Parenting, child maltreatment, and social disadvantage: A population-based implementation and evaluation of the Triple P system of evidence-based parenting support. Child Maltreatment, 10775595241259994.

Biglan, A., Prinz, R. J., & Fishbein, D. (2023). Prevention science and health equity: A comprehensive framework for preventing health inequities and disparities associated with race, ethnicity, and social class. Prevention Science, 24(4), 602-612.

Goodrum, N. M., & Prinz, R. J. (2022). Family-based prevention of child traumatic stress. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 69(4), 633-644.

Prinz, R.J., Metzler, C.W., Sanders, M.R., Rusby, J.C., & Cai, C. (2022). Online-delivered parenting intervention for young children with disruptive behavior problems: A noninferiority trial focused on child and parent outcomes. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 63, 199-209.

Ingels, J., Corso, P., Prinz, R.J., Metzler, C., & Sanders, M.R. (2022). Online-delivered over staff-delivered parenting intervention for young children with disruptive behavior problems: Cost-minimization analysis. JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting, 5(1), e30795.

Prinz, R.J. (2019). A population approach to parenting support and prevention. Future of Children, 29 (1), 123-143.

Prinz, R.J. (2017). Assessing child maltreatment prevention via administrative systems: A case example of reproducibility. Child Abuse & Neglect, 64, 13-18.

Prinz, R.J. (2016). Parenting and family support within a broad child abuse prevention strategy. Child Abuse & Neglect, 51, 400-406.

Neger, E., & Prinz, R.J. (2015). Interventions to address parenting and parental substance abuse: Conceptual and methodological considerations. Clinical Psychology Review, 39, 71-82.

Prinz, R.J., Sanders, M.R., Shapiro, C.J., Whitaker, D.J., & Lutzker, J.R. (2009). Population-based prevention of child maltreatment:  The U.S. Triple P System Population Trial. Prevention Science, 10, 1-13.  Prinz, R.J., Sanders, M.R., Shapiro, C.J., Whitaker, D.J., & Lutzker, J.R. (2016). Addendum to: “Population-based prevention of child maltreatment:  The U.S. Triple P System Population Trial.” Prevention Science, 17, 410-416.

Miller, G.E., & Prinz, R.J. (2003).  Engagement of families in treatment for childhood conduct problems.  Behavior Therapy, 34, 517-534.

Prinz, R. J., & Connell, C. (1997).  Prevention of conduct disorders and antisocial behavior.  In R. T. Ammerman & M. Hersen (Eds.), Handbook of prevention and treatment with children and adolescents:  Intervention in the real world context (pp. 238-258).  New York:  Wiley.

Prinz, R. J., & Miller, G. E. (1994).  Family-based treatment for childhood antisocial behavior:  Experimental influences on dropout and engagement.  Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62, 645-650.