Obituary Belén Martínez-Ferrer

Dr. Belén Martínez-Ferrer sadly passed away on 31 December 2021. Belén was a full professor in the Department of Education and Social Psychology at Pablo Olavide University, and a researcher in the Lisis Group. The Lisis Group, its university and all the researchers and professionals working in the social sphere who had the opportunity to collaborate with her, immensely regret her loss and highlight her tremendous professionalism and excellent values which characterized her as an extraordinary person.

Belén Martínez-Ferrer obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Valencia and her PhD in Social Psychology in 2009 at the same university.

As a teacher, Belén was a University Professor in the Department of Education and Social Psychology at Pablo Olavide University of Seville (UPO), where she taught undergraduate and postgraduate subjects such as Criminal Psychology, Social Psychology of Juvenile Violence and Family Psychology. She was also the academic supervisor of the Masters in Art Therapy and Art Applications for Dialogue and Social Integration. In her teaching activity, she always stood out for her great vocation and closeness to students.

At a research level, from her beginnings and throughout her entire career, she was a very relevant member of the Lisis Group. She was also the head of the PAIDI (SEJ-468) “Values, family, equality and intergenerational relations” research group. She also belonged to the Ibero-American Network for the Study of Violence in Adolescence (RIEVA).

Her research career focused on the psychosocial analysis of the different expressions of violence in adolescents, the problematic use of social networks and adjustment problems in adolescence.

She was Head Researcher in different research projects on the problematic use of virtual social networks, cyberviolence, bullying and cyberbullying. It is also worth highlighting her participation in research with the Community and Environmental Psychology group of the Autonomous University of the State of Morelos (UAEM) that deals with internal migrations in Nahuatl women and the analysis of the perception of insecurity, trust in institutions and victimization. In addition, she was a collaborator with the Educational Psychology group at the Technological Institute of Sonora (ITSON) at the University of Sweden.

Her scientific contributions were numerous and stand out for their great scientific quality and national and international impact. She was the author of numerous scientific articles published in journals of international impact, books and book chapters.

Her colleagues and friends from the Lisis Research Group, with whom she shared so many good moments of work and laughter, wish to convey their shared feeling of having been fortune to know her. Her kindness, wit, good humour and commitment are just some of the traits that defined her. Our greatest fortune, Belén, is, without a doubt, having loved you. You will forever be in our memory, but, above all, in our hearts.

Esta web ha sido cofinanciada por Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) y por la Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad, de la Junta de Andalucía, en marco del programa operativo FEDER Andalucía 2014-2020. Objetivo específico 1.2.3. «Fomento y generación de conocimiento frontera y de conocimiento orientado a los retos de la sociedad, desarrollo de tecnologías emergentes») en marco del proyecto de investigación de referencia UPO‐1265142. Porcentaje de cofinanciación FEDER 80%.