Caro Cruys

Caro Cruys (they/he/she) is a PhD candidate in the Social Welfare program in the Sandra Rosenbaum School of Social Work. Broadly, their research and clinical work focuses on queer and trans sexual and relational health and wellbeing, and they are particularly interested in the experience of care in interpersonal relationships and within state systems. Caro’s dissertation research explores the resilience, resistance, and gender identity development experiences of trans and gender expansive former foster youths. Caro has co-authored several articles that explore care across domains, including how social service providers can provide better assess and care for young people who have experienced sexual exploitation and sex trafficking (Gerassi, L.B., Cruys, C., Hendry, N. & Rosales, M.D.C., May 2023); the pathways to leadership and effects on wellbeing for individuals with lived experiences of sex trading, sex trafficking, and/or homelessness (Gerassi, L.B., Cruys, C. & Wages, S., final revision under review); and a manuscript (in development) exploring how queer and trans college students with experiences of sexual and relationship violence were impacted by bystander intervention, or lack thereof.