Stephen Scott Leff
University of Pennsylvania · Rehabilitation Medicine
Active 1936–2026
About
Stephen Scott Leff, Ph.D., is the William H. Bennett Professor and Staff Psychologist at the Children's Seashore House of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He serves as the Director of Research and Training for Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) at CHOP and is involved in various committees and initiatives related to behavioral health, violence prevention, and diversity and inclusion within the hospital and the Department of Pediatrics. His educational background includes a B.A. in Psychology from Duke University, an M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Leff's research and professional activities focus on behavioral health, bullying prevention, relational aggression, and the development of school-based intervention programs. He has contributed to the evaluation of nutrition education programs, assessment of school climate related to bullying, and the creation of interventions for relationally aggressive girls. His work emphasizes improving mental health and behavioral outcomes through evidence-based programs and community engagement.
Research topics
- Psychology
- Developmental psychology
- Social psychology
- Clinical psychology
- Medicine
Selected publications
2026-03-31
articleOpen access<sec> <title>BACKGROUND</title> Microaggressions in healthcare contribute to disparities in care, reduced patient trust, and negative outcomes for both patients and professionals. Despite their impact, many healthcare providers lack effective training to recognize and respond to these subtle forms of bias. Traditional diversity training often relies on passive methods and shows limited long-term effectiveness. Serious games offer interactive and experiential learning environments that can enhance engagement, empathy, and behavioral awareness. While these tools have been widely used in healthcare education, their role in addressing microaggressions remains underexplored. A clearer understanding of how existing game designs can support bias awareness and inclusive behavior is needed to guide future development. </sec> <sec> <title>OBJECTIVE</title> This study aims to systematically review digital educational games that address microaggressions and bias awareness, and to evaluate their effectiveness in supporting learning outcomes such as awareness, engagement, and behavioral intention. It also examines key game design features, including engagement, feedback, immersion, and real world simulation, to identify strengths, limitations, and opportunities for adapting or developing serious games for healthcare training. </sec> <sec> <title>METHODS</title> This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses guidelines to identify and evaluate relevant digital educational games. A structured literature search was conducted across Google Scholar, PsycINFO, and PubMed for studies published between 2014 and 2024 using combinations of keywords related to serious games, microaggressions, bias awareness, and training. Studies were included if they used a digital game as the primary intervention and focused on microaggressions or implicit bias. After screening and eligibility assessment, five interventions were selected for analysis: Fair Play, Blind Spot, The World of EMPA, Passage Home VR, and Killing Me Softly. Each intervention was evaluated based on learning outcomes such as awareness, engagement, and behavioral intention, as well as key design features including engagement in gameplay, in game feedback, immersion, and real world simulation. Study design and evaluation methods, including experimental and qualitative approaches, were also examined to assess the strength of evidence. </sec> <sec> <title>RESULTS</title> Five digital educational games met the inclusion criteria. Across studies, interventions consistently showed positive effects on awareness of microaggressions, perspective taking, and intention to intervene. Games that used narrative role play and immersive elements demonstrated stronger engagement and emotional involvement. Two interventions used randomized or controlled designs and reported measurable improvements in empathy, bias awareness, or reduced distress. The remaining studies relied primarily on qualitative feedback and self reported outcomes, limiting generalizability. Across design features, all games incorporated engagement and real world scenarios, while feedback mechanisms and levels of immersion varied. Real time and behavior responsive feedback appeared to support deeper reflection. However, most interventions focused on target or bystander perspectives, with no games addressing the role of the perpetrator. Overall, findings indicate that serious games have potential to support microaggression awareness, but evidence is limited by small samples, short term evaluation, and lack of standardized outcome measures. </sec> <sec> <title>CONCLUSIONS</title> Serious games show strong potential as tools for raising awareness of microaggressions and supporting inclusive behavior in educational and healthcare related contexts. Their interactive and experiential nature enables engagement, perspective taking, and reflection beyond traditional training methods. However, current evidence remains limited by short term evaluations, reliance on self reported outcomes, and lack of standardized assessment tools. Future work should focus on developing healthcare specific interventions, incorporating multiple role perspectives, and applying more rigorous and longitudinal evaluation methods to better understand their impact on real world behavior. </sec>
Race and Social Problems · 2026-03-26
articleOpen accessSenior authorAbstract Microaggressions are widely reported across various interpersonal interactions in higher education settings, with significant implications for the psychological, academic, and occupational well-being of individuals from marginalized backgrounds. In response, a growing number of interventions and training programs (interventions hereafter) have been developed to address microaggressions on university campuses. However, a comprehensive review of their characteristics, content, and effectiveness is lacking. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, this systematic review identified and examined 24 microaggression-focused interventions implemented among 1384 participants in higher education settings in North America, from January 2000 through February 2025. Interventions were evaluated across key program characteristics and quality indicators, including targeted interactions, taught behavioral strategies, delivery and teaching modalities, and evaluation designs. The findings suggest the initial effectiveness of the identified interventions in improving awareness of, and/or skills related to, addressing microaggressions—whether as recipients, committers, or bystanders. Several critical gaps in the field were discussed, including limited programming targeting faculty, mentors, and administrative staff; the absence of discipline-specific content; a lack of proactive strategies for individuals who commit microaggressions; and the underutilization of rigorous evaluation methods for assessing the effectiveness and sustainability of behavioral changes. This scoping review highlights a growing body of interventions aimed at combating microaggressions in higher education and identifies key areas for improvement in the field.
Pediatric Research · 2025-09-09
articleSchool-Based Aggression and Bullying Prevention Program Implementation in Real-World Conditions
2024-01-09 · 1 citations
book-chapter1st authorCorrespondingThis book chapter provides important background information related to aggression and bullying, examines school-based programming for reducing these problematic behaviours, and provides concrete recommendations for translating evidence-based school aggression and bullying prevention programming into practice. The chapter begins with key definitions for aggression and bullying, including differentiating aggression from bullying, the subtypes of aggression and bullying, and how the frequency and impact of these behaviours change over the course of a child's development. In particular, the frequency and impact that these negative behaviours have on school-age youth will be addressed. Then, within the context of our school-based intervention research conducted over the past 20 years, we will outline key strategies for how outside entities can help support schools in school-based aggression and bullying prevention programming. Finally, we will then outline ten primary considerations for translating these strategies into practice within schools. Common barriers to implementation will also be discussed within this context. The chapter will conclude with suggestions for the next steps in supporting researchers and educators interested in decreasing aggression and bullying behaviours in the schools.
A Systematic Review of Microaggression-Focused Interventions and Training Programs in Healthcare
Trauma Violence & Abuse · 2024-12-30 · 2 citations
reviewSenior authorMicroaggressions in healthcare are prevalent in clinical encounters, training, and collegial interactions, impacting the physical and psychological well-being of patients and healthcare professionals with marginalized backgrounds. To address healthcare-based microaggressions, there has been an increasing number of interventions and training programs over the past few decades. Based upon the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist, a systematic literature search, screening, and review of microaggression-focused interventions and programs in healthcare settings was conducted and yielded 44 interventions. The interventions and training programs included were reviewed on a range of program characteristics and quality indicators, such as theoretical framework, targeted interpersonal interaction, targeted behavioral strategies, delivery platform and teaching modality, and evaluation design. The reviewed interventions and programs have shown promising potential in enhancing awareness of and/or behavioral skills in addressing microaggressions. Further, this review identified critical areas in the field for improvement, such as a lack of interventions designed for or implemented among preceptors and patients and for equipping perpetrators with strategies when involved in microaggressions, insufficient use of randomized controlled trials and other rigorous methods for intervention and program evaluation, and a lack of an intersectionality lens and placing microaggressions in the historical and structural context.
Strategies for Addressing Racial and Intersectional Microaggressions and Macroaggressions
2023-01-01 · 2 citations
book-chapter1st authorCorrespondingStrategies for Addressing Racial and Intersectional Microaggressions and Macroaggressions
2023-01-01 · 1 citations
book-chapter1st authorCorrespondingPrevention Science · 2022-01-28 · 8 citations
articleOpen accessSenior authorSchool Psychology Review · 2022-10-28 · 30 citations
reviewOpen accessCorrespondingMany racial–ethnic minoritized individuals are repeatedly exposed to subtle actions reflecting racial slights, termed racial microaggressions (RMAs), which are associated with adjustment problems in early adult and adult populations. Early adolescence represents a unique developmental period when minoritized youth begin their racial–ethnic identity exploration and are subjected to stereotypes and prejudice, thereby making them vulnerable to RMAs. Based upon the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist, a systematic literature search, screening and review of RMA literature focusing on high schoolers and younger youth was conducted and yielded 54 publications. This paper reviewed the publications and identified gaps in the field such as the need for systematic research on early adolescents including the frequency and severity of RMAs and the important contributions of peers, parents and teachers for RMA victims, and the need for more evidence-based programming for middle schoolers. Findings suggest that developing school-based microaggression antiracism programs is clearly needed for minoritized and White youth.Impact StatementRacial microaggressions are harmful to minoritized youth’s well-being, including higher rates of suicidal ideation even after accounting for experiences of overt discrimination. The current systematic review suggests a great need for helping school staff provide an inclusive, equitable classroom and for empowering other adults to better support minoritized youth in handling racial microaggressions. The authors propose that school psychologists can fill this critical gap given their important role in providing socio–emotional support to both students and staff.
Relational Peer Victimization as a Predictor of Academic Engagement
Journal of Child and Family Studies · 2022-11-05 · 8 citations
articleOpen access
Recent grants
The Friend to Friend Program: Effectiveness when Conducted by School Staff
NIH · $2.4M · 2019–2026
NIH · $2.8M · 2014
NIH · $374k · 2010
NIH · $474k · 2006
NIH · $655k · 2008
Frequent coauthors
- 84 shared
Thomas J. Power
University of Pennsylvania
- 44 shared
Tracy Evian Waasdorp
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- 29 shared
Brooke S. Paskewich
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- 24 shared
Tracy E. Costigan
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- 23 shared
Ricardo Eiraldi
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- 20 shared
Abbas F. Jawad
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- 16 shared
Flaura K. Winston
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
- 15 shared
Katherine B. Bevans
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