Criminology Student Profiles

Ablett, Grace

Ablett, Grace
Start date:
October 2017
Research Topic:
Image-Based Sexual Abuse
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr Kirsty Hudson and Prof Amanda Robinson
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC studentship

This project seeks to understand the increasingly diverse ways in which images are used to perpetrate sexual violence.

The most commonly known form of image-based sexual abuse (IBSA) is ‘revenge pornography’, which has typically been the focus of work on IBSA in academic, legal and government settings. However, this study will also examine lesser known types of IBSA, such as sexploitation, sextortion and sexual voyeurism, in order to build more comprehensive policies and educational strategies.

Due to the limited understanding of image-based sexual abuse, the initial stages of the project will aim to establish the prevalence of IBSA, the common types of IBSA and the long-term implications for victims of IBSA. It will also seek to understand what leads to perpetrators engaging in forms of technology-facilitated sexual violence, and how this compares to other forms of sexual violence.

Forms of technology enabled sexual abuse, such as IBSA, have often been overlooked in technological and cybercrime research; this research therefore aims to link these disciplines to current feminist research in order to better understand and prevent forms of image-based sexual abuse.

Baker, Nia

Baker, Nia
Start date:
October 2017
Research Topic:
Expanding the speciesist confines of animal abuse perspectives in criminology
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr Marty Chamberlain and Dr Jon Burnett
Supervising school:
Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship
Research keywords:
; ; ; ;

Criminology and the social sciences more broadly have manifested a blind spot in animal victimisation (Cazaux, 2007). In the literature, previous studies have prioritised the impact animal abuse inflicts on human beings and consequentially ignored the harms dealt to animals themselves (Beirne, 2004). As a result of what might be termed ‘criminological speciesism’, a substantial gap exists concerning animals as sentient beings with individual rights—including the right to be free from pain and suffering (Singer, 1975). This speciesist agenda is fuelled by the belief that non-human organisms are without moral rights (Cohen, 1986) and therefore hold no legitimate claim to recognition by criminologists (Beirne, 1999). Green criminology enables a wider study of these overshadowed issues surrounding animal victimisation, including: animal rights, morality, ethics and social harm.

Like human maltreatment, animal abuse may be physical, psychological or emotional (Beirne, 2007) and can take the form of active torture or passive neglect (Cazaux & Beirne, 2001). Similar to the human crimes that stem from oppression, animal abuse is also not restricted to the personal proximity of a sole offender and can be caused through institutionalised social practices, where the mistreatment of animals is deemed socially acceptable (Beirne, 2001).

This research study will adopt a qualitative analysis to develop crucial insights into the nature, extent and impact of animal harms. For example, their use in medical research—a controversial and contemporary subject with ethical and moral dilemmas. Through doing so, the study seeks to challenge the current boundaries in criminology by critically expanding ‘victimisation’ in light of animal welfare. The aims of the study are:

  • To expand knowledge and understanding of the nature, extent and impact of animal cruelty and its consequences for the animal population in addition to human beings.
  • To develop theoretical insights into the possible factors behind speciesist studies of animal victimisation, by drawing attention to potential synergies between speciesism and other forms of structural discrimination including racism and sexism.
  • To provide an empirical account of issues that underpin the lack of criminological interest in animal abuse as an independent subject—outside the corollary of human victimisation.
  • To develop an empirical and theoretical framework to inform preventative policies and practices.

Bezeczky, Zoe

Bezeczky, Zoe
Start date:
October 2019
Research Topic:
Criminalisation of children and young people in care
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Professor Martin Innes and Dr David Wilkins
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

It is widely recognised that children in care are over-represented in the criminal justice system and there have been calls for practice to change. In England and Wales, some local areas have set up protocols to detail how partner agencies will support children in care and prevent them from being drawn into the justice system. The protocols aim to reduce unnecessary police callouts to care placements and increase the use of diversionary and restorative approaches. Partner agencies seek to implement the protocols and question, “would this response be good enough for my child?”. In my PhD study, I am examining how children in care are supported by the presence of these protocols. The study employs a realist framework to explore how the protocols work, for whom, in what circumstances, and why. I am conducting interviews in several case study areas with managers and practitioners from the youth justice service, police, and care providers. The interviews will inform a programme theory that demonstrates how and why the protocols are anticipated to work to reduce the criminalisation of children in care.

Brain, Mark

Start date:
October 2021
Research Topic:
The overrepresentation of mental ill-health within UK policing
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr Adam Edwards and Dr Rachel Swann
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship
Research keywords:
; ;

There is a substantially improved awareness of mental ill-health within policing. Existing research suggests that police officers are far more likely to suffer from mental ill-health than the public, which when considering some of the horrific incidents police officers attend is not surprising. However, these episodic incidents do not fully illuminate a police culture that has distinct working personality and organisational characteristics.
Previously, before starting my Ph.D., I was a police officer for nineteen years, which was sadly cut short due to suffering from trauma. I have witnessed bright and healthy police officers become poorly concerning their mental health and often this was down to various factors. Now I am using my experience to help people within policing better understand causal mechanisms of mental ill-health.
Why is this important? Well, as the bulk of research is conducted via surveying or if qualitative, by interviewing police officers, data is gleaned from what participants say. Academically, I take the philosophical principle of Critical Realism, which understands that what goes on in the real world may not always be visible. What we see and infer can be problematic. So, my research is looking for what is termed ‘underlying casual mechanisms’ of mental ill-health within policing.
This is genuinely exciting social research because discovering underlying causation could better influence future policy surrounding police officer wellbeing and untimely save lives. If you are interested in my research and would like to find out more, then please get in touch.

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-b-a0257898/

Brown, Aaron

Aaron Brown
Start date:
October 2014
Research Topic:
An Evaluation of the Bureau Model of Youth Diversion
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr Stephen Case and Professor Kevin Haines
Supervising school:
Centre for Criminal Justice and Criminology,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

The diversion based ‘Bureau Model’ has evolved out of a Welsh policy context that has sought to give young people a voice in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 1989; whilst also ensuring that young offenders are treated as ‘Children First and Offenders Second’.

My PhD study will seek to analyse and evaluate precisely how the structures, processes and core principles (i.e. diversion, child rights, parental and victim input, promotion of pro-social behaviour etc.) of the Bureau Model have been implemented across various Welsh locales, within Bureau at differing stages of development.

Equally inherent within the study will be the need to determine what statistical outcomes have been evidenced from Bureau regarding reduced First Time Entrants (FTEs) and Reoffending Rates, along with detailed assessment of the nature and level of participation and engagement from key stakeholders in delivering the Bureau service.

Finally, the study will aim to fill in the ‘existing gaps’ in previous ‘Bureau’ analysis by cataloguing the views of not only stakeholders but also the young people themselves, as well as parents or carers.  

Cartwright, Tom

Start date:
October 2011
Research Topic:
Community Safety in an Age of Austerity
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Prof. Gordon Hughes and Mr Adam Edwards
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

My research is concerned with identifying the governing arrangements for community safety in the current political and economic climate. Through a mixed methods approach the research seeks to test a number of propositions identified in the literature regarding the debates about the future of community safety. These propositions range from the wholesale disbandment of community safety agendas to more optimistic assessments that there may be a continuance of community safety at a local level enabled through innovation by local actors and the peculiarities of local governance.  Through the testing of these propositions the research seeks to acquire an understanding of what factors help or hinder the maintenance of community safety agendas in an age of austerity.

Cheekes, Erik

Erik Cheekes
Start date:
October 2017
Research Topic:
Drug policy and law enforcement effects on the cannabis market
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Proffessor Matthew Williams and Dr Luca Giommoni
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

My thesis aims to provide a cross-national analysis of the effect that a country’s drug policy, and law enforcement strategies, has on the cannabis market. Several countries’ over the past 15 years have taken a more de-regulation position towards cannabis. For instance, Argentina and Portugal both decriminalised cannabis use in 2009 and 2001 respectively. Several states in America have legalised, or have recently voted to begin the process of legalising recreational cannabis use. Canada also intends to legalise cannabis’s usage in 2018. However, prohibition remains a popular approach towards cannabis for many countries and jurisdictions. Despite the existence of alternate policy regimes and different enforcement strategies on the cannabis market, few insights have been gained from cross-country comparison. Furthermore, previous studies in this area often focus on one singular location, intervention, and on enforcement or regulation. My thesis intends to provide a comprehensive analysis of both regulation and law enforcement’s effects from multiple interventions and locations on cannabis. The possible findings from my research will have implications for drug policy makers, law enforcement, and the on-going debate over cannabis legality.

Coliandris, Michael

Coliandris, Michael
Start date:
October 2016
Research Topic:
Remote Control: The Emergence of Drones in Contemporary Policing in England and Wales
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Professor Trevor Jones and Dr Adam Edwards
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

Policy-makers and police leaders have expressed substantial support for drone technology in policing across England and Wales.

Operational opportunities presented by drones include surveillance and relative cost-effectiveness. For forces pressured by increasingly limited resources drones signal a new mode of contemporary policing that enhances capabilities and exploits emerging and dynamic trends in technological innovation.

My research anticipates the need to engage with legitimate concerns regarding their uses and users. Issues such as police militarisation and effective governance present significant challenges in urgent need of address.

Two research aims emerge:

  1. In light of concerns regarding possible consequences of drone technology, this project will identify which police forces are actually using drone technology in operational and strategic policing, how they are using it, and what issues they may be encountering through its use.
  2. Following from the initial audit of the extent of drone technology adoption, case studies will be selected of early adopters for more comprehensive inquiry into both intended and unintended consequences of drone use.
LinkedIn:
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/mike-coliandris-32550962

Correia, Sara Giro

Correia, Sara Giro
Start date:
October 2015
Research Topic:
Cybercrime and Fraud Victimisation in Wales
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Prof Stuart Macdonald
Supervising school:
Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship
Research keywords:
; ;

Sara Correia is a Ph.D. researcher within the Cyber Threats Intelligence Centre (CyTIC) at Swansea University’s Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law. Sara is undertaking an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded project to profile fraud and cybercrime victims, in collaboration with the Southern Wales Regional Organised Crime Unit. Her research interests include the ethics of Internet research, digital criminology, digital inequality and policing. Sara holds a BSc in Politics and International Relations and a Graduate Diploma and Law. She has also undertaken an MSc by Research on counter-terrorism policing. In addition, she has worked as a researcher within industry and academia, has interned with the UK’s Home Office and is a tutor in both Law and Criminology. In her spare time, she produces and co-presents the Cyber Law and Security Podcast.

Selected Publications

Blakeborough, L. & Correia, S. (2018). Developing understanding of the scale, nature and impacts of fraud on individuals and businesses. Home Office.

Awan, I., & Correia, S. (2015). Engaging with the Muslim community in Cardiff: A Study of the impact of counter terrorism research. Fieldwork in Religion. (Upcoming)

Awan, I., & Correia, S. (2014). Terrorism Research: Understanding Muslim Communities. Criminal Justice Matters, 96(1), 24-25. doi:10.1080/09627251.2014.926069

Selected Conference Presentations

Correia, S. & Watkin, A. (2018). Regulating social media: due process and tactical displacement. Paper presented at the Society for Terrorism Research Postgraduate Conference, Swansea University, Swansea.

Correia, S. (2017). Criminal justice responses to cybercrime in Wales: Working in partnership to help victims.. Paper presented at the International Conference on Cyberlaw, Cybercrime & Cybersecurity, India International Centre, New Delhi.

Correia, S. (2017). Fraud, computer crimes and the ‘4Ps’: national policy & local response. Paper presented at the European Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Cardiff University. Cardiff.

Website:
https://www.cyberlawandsociety.org/
Academia.edu:
http://swansea.academia.edu/SaraGiroCorreia
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-giro-correia-29b34b74/

Cullen, Arron

Cullen, Dr Arron
Start date:
October 2016
Research Topic:
Police and Social Media in England and Wales
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Professor Matthew Williams and Professor Pete Burnap
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Wales Doctoral Training Partnership

Arron completed his PhD in 2022. You can read his thesis here: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/156197/

Davies, Bethan

Davies, Bethan
Start date:
October 2019
Research Topic:
Early interventions for preventing radicalisation
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Prof Martin Innes and Dr Jennifer Hoolachan
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship
Research keywords:
; ;

Early interventions with young people in Wales to prevent radicalisation

This ethnographic study is interested in early interventions run with vulnerable young people in Wales, who may be susceptible to radicalisation. The early interventions of interest here fall beyond the formal, structured interventions within the government’s Prevent policy and Channel programme, and include workshops and one-to-one youth work designed to increase understanding and resilience around issues such as prejudice, racism and extremism. As radicalisation is generally identified as a process of socialisation or re-socialisation (Crenshaw, 2000; McHugh, 1966), interventions can be implemented at any time, including ‘upstream’, as preventative measures.

Through naturalistic observations of interventions and semi-structured interviews with key actors, the research aims to explore how interventions are delivered and organised. This includes which components/techniques are believed to be effective (though perceptions and measures of ‘effectiveness’ are themselves subjective). The study will also consider how the ‘problem’ of young people’s radicalisation is constructed by policymakers and practitioners.

Recent select publications:
Innes, M, Davies, B and Lowe, T. (2019) Counter-governance and ‘post-event prevent’: Regulating rumours, fake news and conspiracy theories in the aftermath of terror. International Journal of Crime, Law and Justice (in press). Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756061619304549?via%3Dihub#

Dawson, Jordan

Jordan Dawson
Start date:
October 2016
Research Topic:
Male Sex Work
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Professor Tracey Sagar
Supervising school:
Centre for Criminal Justice and Criminology,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

Male sex workers are a group which often go unrecognised both in policy and academia, with much of the sex work literature presenting men solely as the client or ‘exploiter’ of sex workers. My research seeks to challenge this view of men in sex work, and highlights the varied experiences of those men who themselves undertake sex work. Much current research on male sex workers does not acknowledge the potential vulnerability of the group. My research looks into the experiences of physical, sexual and verbal violence against male sex workers, and the barriers which often prevent men from reporting such incidents to the police.

In order to research this topic, I am using the internet as a means of data collection, and also as a forum with which I can contribute positively to the male sex work community.

LinkedIn:
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/jordan-dawson-a46ba6a4

Doubleday, Ruth

Ruth Doubleday
Start date:
October 2012
Research Topic:
Correcting the Legitimacy Deficit: Relationships, Order and Safety in Prison
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr Kirsty Hudson and Professor Gordon Hughes
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

This research aims to explore the nature of staff-prisoner relationships in a Category B local prison holding adult males. It focuses upon the role that relationships play in maintaining order, improving outcomes for prisoners and staff and, ultimately, in allowing for the prison to be considered a legitimate mode of punishment. Alongside prolonged engagement with the prison regime, data will be collected through individual and group interviews with staff and prisoners. Findings will be embedded within the existing body of literature concerning the sociology of imprisonment. Conclusions will be made available to the Prison Service and to NOMS in the hope that they may inform relevant policy and practice.

Ellis, Elaine

Elaine Ellis
Start date:
October 2013
Research Topic:
The impact of privatisation on relationships between offenders and their supervisors
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr Kirsty Hudson, Prof. Trevor Jones
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

A mixed methods exploratory study investigating the way probation practitioners perceive their relationships with offenders in the first year after privatisation.  Probation practitioners working in Community Rehabilitation Companies  (CRC) will be surveyed to find out what they value as important within the supervisor-supervisee relationship and the aspirations they have for the offenders they supervise.  Comparisons will be made based on the nature of the organisation heading up the CRC. The findings will be related to earlier studies that investigated what quality meant within supervisor-supervisee relationships prior to privatisation. The research will conclude by reporting on the significance of the findings for future commissioning of offender services in the community.

Selected recent publications

Rex, S. and Ellis, E. (2011) The research and evaluation programme for offender engagement , Eurovista, 2 (1).

Ellis, E., Fortune, J. and Peters, G. (2007), Partnership Problems: Analysis and Re-Design, Crime Prevention & Community Safety 9, 34–51 (1 February 2007).

Evans, Martyn

Start date:
October 2018
Research Topic:
Waste Crime
Research pathway:
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC
Research keywords:
; ; ;

Green crime is a growing international problem that can have long-term effects on the environment, wildlife and future generations. This has led UK policy-makers to express substantial support for tackling it.

Criminologists are increasingly interested in ‘green’ perspectives, but many current academic discussions centre on global environmental harms. This research aims to explore empirically the level and nature of high volume, routine waste crime offences in Wales. Using existing theory of crime scripts, my research will look to explain the organisation of waste crime and the intended and unintended consequences of enforcement and regulatory approaches.

My aim is to ensure that my research adds a new dimension to green criminology and has significant relevance beyond academia. As an environmental professional for 12 years, combined with the support expressed by policy makers and practitioners in Wales and the UK, I’m passionate about making sure my work research influences future policy and regulatory responses.

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/evansmartyn

Frenguelli, Ninian

Frenguelli, Ninian
Start date:
October 2020
Research Topic:
Gender in the Online Far-Right
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Prof Maura Conway
Supervising school:
Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship
External Sponsor:
RUSI
Research keywords:
; ; ;

My project will explore how members of online far right communities express and relate to their gender identities, how they view the roles of gender in their social movement, and how they view gender and gender discourse in wider society. The project will map how the views on these matters differ across different segments of the online far right, such as where the views of traditional neo-Nazis may differ from those of the alt-right.

My research combines hyperlink network analysis of far right websites with qualitative content analysis of the mixed media posted on far right websites as it relates to gender.

My research hopes to shed light on how views about gender and gendered issues differ across different far right factions, as well as differences between parts of the same far right movements and factions. It is hoped that this will give researchers and practitioners a better understanding of the nuances of gendered thought across different far right movements in order to aid intervention and deradicalisation methods.

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/non-frenguelli-734a2a90/

Gant, Emma

Start date:
October 2022
Research Topic:
Intersectionality and sex work
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Professor Tracey Sagar and Dr Sam Hanks
Supervising school:
Primary funding source:
ESRC
Research keywords:
; ; ; ; ;

Whilst there has been a growing recognition that sex work often exists at multiple intersecting factors, e.g. ethnicity, gender, class, immigration status and (dis)ability, and how such factors impact sex workers’ abilities to access welfare, housing, health, and social support, academic research is yet to take intersectionality as the core organising principle. This research aims to consider a range of structural factors and examine how they intersect and shape realities of sex work.

It is hoped that, by involving grassroot organisations and service providers in the third and public sector, this research will use interviews to explore the ‘multidimensionality’ of sex workers’ experiences.

Due to the paucity of sex work research based in Wales, this research seeks to address this gap and provide findings of national importance. It is hoped that this project will also have international implications for how sex work is conceptualised and governed due to the focus on structural factors. It aims to ensure a theory-practice connection and provide relevance to key policy debates such as Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sex Violence as well as policy issues associated with gender, vulnerability, deviance, crime and safety.

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/emma-gant-914b2071/

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Goldsworthy, Chris

Start date:
October 2013
Research Topic:
Genetic Testing for Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) and the British Coronial System
Research pathway:
;
Research Supervisor:
Professor Adam Hedgecoe Dr Nicky Priaulx Professor Dhavendra Kumar
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

In the UK post-mortem genetic testing for SADS has been available since 2004; however this technology has yet to be widely employed following suspected SADS related deaths. The implication of this is that many deaths are misdiagnosed and due to the genetic nature of SADS conditions family members are then at risk of suffering the same fate. Whereas an accurate genetic diagnosis could result in family members receiving testing and treatment to prevent the deadly arrhythmia.

This research aims to establish why these tests are not engaged with during the death investigation by Coroners and Pathologists. In this way the research extends debates of the ‘Usefulness’ of genetic testing beyond the clinical setting.
The focus of this research is on the process of post-mortem genetic testing for SADS; from the suspected SADS related death, to the genetic test and cascade screening for family members of the deceased. Utilising the expert accounts of Coroners, Pathologists, and Clinicians, this research hopes to be able to understand why this process is not currently working on a large scale and how it can potentially work in the future.

Goodall, Orlando

Orlando Goodall
Start date:
October 2015
Research Topic:
Wildlife Crimes and Responses to Them
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Prof Mike Levi and Dr Adam Edwards
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

Intelligence suggests wildlife crimes in the UK are becoming more prevalent and more organised, reflecting in part, increasing demand for meat and fish commodities and the lucrative proceeds that can be gained from illicit markets in food stuffs. In addition to the criminal justice dimensions of this problem, the perceived growth in these illicit markets provokes a major concern for public health policy, given the potential for recycling unhygienic and inexpertly processed commodities into the food chain. This research will investigate the organisational characteristics of wildlife crime, adopting script analysis to investigate the sourcing, poaching, processing and distribution of illicit food stuffs, underpinned by critical realism and critical political economy.

Graham, Anna

Anna Graham
Start date:
October 2014
Research Topic:
Offenders and desistance
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr Kirsty Hudson and Dr Tom Hall
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC studentship

My research is an ethnographic study of The Clink, HMP Cardiff. The research aims to investigate the change in prisoners’ lives through working in The Clink and whether or not there is a change in public perceptions about ‘offenders’.

Gundur, Rajeev

Rajeev Gundur
Start date:
October 2012
Research Topic:
The Proliferation of Mexican Organized Criminal Organizations into the United States
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Prof. Martin Innes; Prof. Michael Levi
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

This study will investigate how drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) destabilize and weaken the institutional order of society, to create and sustain a facilitative environment for their illegal activities. Utilizing a mixed method case study research design, empirical data will be collected to illuminate the interactions between the various activities of the DTOs and the resultant social control responses of the state and wider society. The aim is to produce a generalizable understanding of how organized crime activities contribute to the weakening of state governance.

LinkedIn:
http://uk.linkedin.com/in/rvgundur

Hodges, Helen

Helen Hodges
Start date:
October 2014
Research Topic:
A Bayesian Approach to Modelling Risk Factors and Youth Reoffending Relationships
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr Marty Chamberlain and Dr Yuzhi Cai
Supervising school:
Centre for Criminal Justice and Criminology,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

Risk Factor Research (RFR) has had a dominating influence on youth justice policy and practice in England and Wales for over a decade with the basic principle being to identify those risk factors associated with offending and implement measures or interventions designed to counteract them. However, the developmental focus of RFR and use of classical / frequentist statistical techniques has resulted in studies of the risk factor-offending relationship for young people which it could be argued are overly superficial, generalised and insensitive.

My research therefore adopts a Bayesian approach and will utilise novel statistical techniques to address the conceptualised risk factor-reoffending relationship. In doing so, it is hoped that it will be possible to extend the range of ‘risk factors’ considered beyond the restricted set of the traditional psychosocial to include sociological / structural variables and the impact of interventions. Rather than demonstrating static statistical associates between broad categories of risk factors and offending, the intention is to explore the web of complex relations between a range of factors and a range of outcomes.

A key element of the research will be an exploration of the relationship between risk factors and reoffending within different crime types (eg property crimes, violent and sexual offending) and for different features of a ‘criminal career’ (eg frequency, duration, seriousness and escalation), as well as non-reoffending.

Janes, Joe

Joe Janes
Start date:
October 2015
Research Topic:
Youth Justice in Wales: The Role and Influence of Welsh Youth Offending Teams in the Context of Pre-devolution Youth Justice
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr. Anthony Charles and Professor Kevin Haines
Supervising school:
Centre for Criminal Justice and Criminology,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

My PhD will look at – How Welsh YOTs operate in practice? (e.g. the nature of their structures, ethos, culture, processes, programmes, principles, policy mediation, positions and roles in multi-agency partnerships).

What is the extent and nature of statistical evidence of YOT ‘effectiveness’? (e.g. antisocial behaviour, offending, reoffending, sentencing, public opinion data)

How perceptions of YOT practices, structures, processes, roles, positions, partnership working and influence amongst YOT staff and external stakeholders differ?

What are the links between YOT practice and Welsh policy/law, and how, in practice and at a strategic level do these operate and interrelate? (e.g ‘Children and Young People First’)

Kostara, Fryni

Kostara, Fryni
Start date:
October 2016
Research Topic:
Regulation of the security industry and its challenges in contemporary society
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Professor Michael Levi and Dr Rachel Swann
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship
Research keywords:
; ; ;

The project assesses the criminal challenges facing the security regulatory sector, how the sector police those risks and the past and future effectiveness of the Security Industry Authority (SIA) in meeting the variety of challenges.

Criminology has shifted its crime control focus to ‘plural policing’ and to the network of control bodies beyond the police. The growth of the night-time economy, terrorism risks as well as businesses located in normally un-surveilled areas has generated a need for private security who are not working for criminally owned security companies, and the SIA was given statutory responsibility for authorising staff from club ‘bouncers’ to private
guards.

As more and more functions of the state are being privatised and police resources are cut via austerity policing, the challenges facing this sector have grown, and there are additional areas such as private detective work in the corporate and cybersecurity space who might also be thought about as possible areas capable of SIA regulation.

The research design will be primarily interview and data driven, with access to SIA and industry staff being facilitated, and interviews with industry actors.

Academia.edu:
http://cardiff.academia.edu/FryniKostara
LinkedIn:
http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/fryni-kostara/84/982/900/

Maniatt, Rhiannon

Maniatt, Rhiannon
Start date:
October 2020
Research Topic:
Managing Vicarious Trauma and Vicarious Resilience in Domestic Abuse Advocates
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr Rachel Swann and Dr Dawn Mannay
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Wales DTP
Research keywords:
; ;

Domestic Abuse Advocates are a key source of support for victim-survivors who experience abuse from an ex/partner, providing emotional support (involving listening to experiences and traumatic stories) and practical support (e.g. housing or legal support). But helping survivors can have negative effects on the Advocates; specifically, they can develop Vicarious Trauma.

Vicarious Trauma is caused by transference of the trauma effects experienced by survivors to Support Workers after being accumulatively exposed to them while providing care. Support workers cognitive schema/thought processes in various areas can be disrupted by hearing traumatic accounts, and they can also experience changes in their memory systems and affect. Alternatively, support workers can develop Vicarious Resilience, which encompasses the growth and positive feelings which develop from supporting others through trauma.

My research aimed to qualitatively explore experiences of vicarious trauma in Domestic Abuse Advocates (such as refuge and community workers), and how they manage trauma levels to ensure they can continue to provide support to others. It also examines organisational and individual factors (including own experience of abuse) which can have an impact on experiences of vicarious trauma and vicarious resilience.

This research was conducted using Participatory Action Research principles, and offered creative methods to participants, specifically the use of the Sandboxing method.

Conference Presentations Regarding this Project:
– ‘I don’t have anything else to give’: Vicarious Trauma in Domestic Abuse Advocates’ and Impacts on Sustainability – British Society of Criminology Conference 2023, University of Central Lancaster, June 2023

Upcoming Conference Presentations:
– Reflections on using the Sandboxing Technique in Exploring Vicarious Trauma/Resilience with Domestic Abuse Advocates – European Society of Criminology Conference 2023, Florence, Italy, September 2023
– ‘I look at my husband and think, do I even know you?’: Domestic Abuse Advocates’ Experiences of Vicarious Trauma and Vicarious Resilience – Thinking Theory, Research and Practice: The Feminist Politics of Social Justice Conference, Liverpool University, November 2023

My other research interests include Violence Against Women, Interpersonal Violence, Substance Misuse, Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation.

Mogford, Holly

Start date:
September 2022
Research Topic:
Immigration Control as Revenue Regime: Mapping the Contours and Consequences
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr Sam Hanks
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC
Research keywords:

Charging regimes within immigration control and enforcement have broadened in scope exponentially. The influx of revenue extraction has contributed to creating a hostile environment for migrants. This research aims to understand the interplay between charging regimes and immigration control and enforcement more broadly.

This research aims to explore three distinct, but related charging regimes: (1) immigration enforcement, such as carrier sanctions (2) immigration citizenship, such as visa fees and (3) NHS surcharges. This research will explore the impact on those who directly experience such charging regimes and the impact upon the individuals and institutions enforcing them.

LinkedIn:
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/holly-mogford-562b7b197

Prideaux, Gayle

Prideaux, Gayle
Start date:
October 2019
Research Topic:
Rehabilitation Through Learning: The Effects of In-Prison Education and Skills Training on Recidivation Rates and Resettlement Issues for Adult Male Prisoners in Wales
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr Jonathan Burnett, Associate Professor Deborah Jones, Associate Professor Mark Jones
Supervising school:
Centre for Criminal Justice and Criminology,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

Reoffending and rehabilitation are key matters for the Criminal Justice System in Wales; based on a home address system, Wales has the highest rate of incarceration in Western Europe (154 per 100,000) with a high percentage of those released from prison reoffending within twelve months. Moreover, South Wales contains a high level of deprivation, unemployment, homelessness, and under-education. With many Welsh individuals who reside in prison lacking the necessary support and training to secure a suitable home, job or further education upon release.

The Welsh Government have reiterated their support for in-prison education and skills training as key-methods of rehabilitation to bring down reoffending statistics (Hanson, 2019). However, the area is under-researched – it is unclear whilst in prison what level of education is offered to individuals or how adequate the skills training courses are. It has been suggested that educational opportunities in Welsh prisons are not as good as they ought to be (Senedd Research, 2018). With others suggesting some good work is being undertaken in the area (Hanson, 2019). Furthermore, what motivates an incarcerated individual to undertake education and/or skills training and how this promotes desistance from crime is largely misunderstood in literature.

Therefore, the purpose of this research is to explore the link between custodial education, skills training, and resettlement issues to help reduce reoffending in South Wales. Arguably, the individuals best placed to provide information on the benefits of custodial education and skills training while highlighting any resettlement issues upon release are those who directly experience it – incarcerated individuals, in-prison education providers, and third-party voluntary organisations.

Incorporating HMP Swansea, HMP Cardiff, along with Parc Prison, Bridgend, Swansea University will be one of the first institutions to conduct such an in-depth study which aims to provide insights into what level and type of education and skills training can best benefit individuals while incarcerated and what services and provisions might be needed upon an individual’s release from custody to support a life of desistance from crime. While providing insights on the ‘Welsh Penal System’ as an under-researched area of penological enquiry.

Academia.edu:
https://www.swansea.ac.uk/law/ccjc/

Reed, Leah Bethan

Reed, Leah Bethan
Research Topic:
Welsh Womens Imprisonment
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr Alisa Stevens, Dr Robert Jones and Dr Kirsty Hudson
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship
Research keywords:
; ;

Women in the criminal justice system disproportionately face a number particular vulnerabilities; because there are no female prisons in Wales, Welsh women are held at facilities across England and face a distinct set of issues. The need to understand the experiences of Welsh women has become more pronounced amidst the emergence of Welsh-only policies for female offenders in Wales, including the co-produced Ministry of Justice and Welsh Government Female Offending Blueprint in 2019.
The Corston report’s (2007) central argument, that women’s needs are being marginalised within a system designed by men for men, helped establish a consensus around the need for gender-specific approaches yet many of the proposed changes have not been translated into practice. In attempting to recognise the distinct needs of Welsh women within the criminal justice system and implement Corston’s recommendations, the Female Offender Blueprint sets out the Ministry of Justice and Welsh Government’s ambition to transform services for women that are distinct to Wales, including by setting up residential women’s centres, yet has not been comprehensively empirically researched.
The aim of this research is to (i) produce the first in-depth empirical study of women’s imprisonment in Wales, (ii) identify and explore the unique problems facing Welsh women, (iii) analyse the legacy of the Corston Review, assess the progress and current state of the ‘women’s alternatives’ movement, (iv) draw upon research findings to contribute to debates over the effectiveness and future of ‘Welsh-only’ female offender policies and (v) contribute to a growing body of research on criminology and criminal justice in Wales.

LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-reed-669b05180/

Roach, Luke Morgan

Start date:
October 2015
Research Topic:
The Collaborative Online Social Media Observatory (COSMOS) and Crowd-Sourcing Social Sensing for Statistical Modelling
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr. Matthew Williams and Dr. Pete Burnap
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

This project will use the Collaborative Online Social Media Observatory (COSMOS) as a means to collect “big data” and explore its application in sociological research. Providing both advantages and pitfalls when compared to traditional research methods, the ubiquity of online social information provides a vast arena in which to conduct research, and its unique value and function as an augmentation to traditional research, a replacement or something different all together, will be a focus of this project.

Springett-Gilling, Jack

Springett-Gilling, Jack
Start date:
October 2021
Research Topic:
Civil Society and Online Narratives Against Terrorism and Violent Extremism
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Alastair Reed and Joe Whittaker
Supervising school:
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship
External Sponsor:
RUSI
Research keywords:
; ; ; ;

Over the last decade much attention has been paid, in research and popular media, to the presence of extremist narratives online encouraging terrorism and violent extremism, disseminated by groups and individuals subscribing to ideologies of the extreme right and violent Islamism. Less consideration, however, has been afforded to research into narratives that aim to prevent or counter terrorism and extremism online. In recent years, governing authorities, including those in the UK and EU, have focused on the importance of civil society involvement as a means to tackle extremism, allocating funding and encouraging the spread of a ‘counter-narrative’ through civil society, whilst private companies, included those involved in social media, have also recognized a need to tackle extremist ideologies both within and through their platforms. Yet relatively little is known about the role of civil society in the production and dissemination of narratives against extremism.

This PhD aims to address this knowledge gap by focusing on the role of civil society organizations, and their relationship with state bodies, in the production and dissemination of narratives against terrorism and violent extremism. This will involve mapping the field of practice by local, national and international civil society actors, establishing a typology of narratives and formats used, alongside their underpinning motivations and rationales.

The impact of this research lies in the illumination of a field of practice about which little is known, and its likely contribution to the identification of best practice, alongside a recognition of barriers and facilitators to effective P/CVE practice. The research will have policy relevance for those seeking to support civil society actors in contributing to the reduction of the harms of extremism through effective P/CVE messaging.

Thomas, Monica

Thomas, Monica
Start date:
October 2018
Research Topic:
Black mothers experiences of imprisonment
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Alisa Stevens and Alyson Rees
Supervising school:
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship
Research keywords:
; ; ; ;

In the majority of academic literature and governmental reports concerning maternal imprisonment the experiences of black mothers have been overlooked, de-racialised, or grouped together with other racial minority groups. Therefore this research focuses specifically on black mothers with the purpose of exploring how the prison environment shapes black mothering narratives and identities.

This research is underpinned by a black feminist narrative approach and semi-structured narrative interviews are used as the main tool for data collection.

Treacy, Samantha

Start date:
October 2019
Research Topic:
The role of historical narratives in extremist propaganda
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Alastair Reed and Andrew Glazzard
Supervising school:
Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship
External Sponsor:
Royal United Services Institute
Research keywords:
; ; ; ; ; ;

The production of propaganda by extremist organisations is not a new phenomenon, although the Internet and social media platforms have facilitated the speed, reach and quantity at which it can be disseminated. However, it is the apparent ‘success’ of, and central role ceded to, the communications strategy employed by violent extremist groups such as ISIS, that has brought propaganda to prominence. In response, Governments (including the UK) and supranational organisations (such as the UN), have posited the countering of extremist narratives as key to their counter-terrorism strategies and policy objectives. But, research to support the development of counter-narratives is limited – including the construction of extremist output, and the nature of links between exposure to these materials and subsequent action.

It has been reported that extremist organisations make particularly powerful use of historical events to strengthen and justify their cause and actions, and to give cover and credence to claims that their side of the story as presented through their propaganda, is the truth. However, the role of historical narratives is particularly under-explored, which is likely to hamper counter-narrative endeavours.

It is the primary aim of my research, therefore, to examine historical narratives and the role they play in the on- and off-line propaganda formulated by extremist organisations, and in the output of Government or NGOs which seek to counter them, as well as how these may be linked with action. An exploration of how these narratives present, and are directed towards, women will be a secondary thread running throughout. It is hoped that the outcomes will be of use to practitioners, policy-makers and academics in the fields of terrorism, criminology, political science and communications, as they seek to advance and refine their response to extremist narratives.

Turner, Alaina

Turner, Alaina
Start date:
October 2019
Research Topic:
Dragonisation of Looked after Children - Can Wales Extinguish the Criminogenic Fire
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr Anthonly Charles, Dr Jon Burnett
Supervising school:
Centre for Criminal Justice and Criminology,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

Reflecting upon the Welsh legislative agenda and the increase in numbers of looked after children (children in care) in Wales (Welsh Government, 2018), this research will analyse legislative measures and through an empirical study, engage key stakeholders to understand the extent to which policy and legislation is mitigating criminogenic factors that are often associated with being a looked after child (LAC).

Youth crime remains highly topical, particularly when it involves those most vulnerable in society. As Lord Laming (2016) highlighted, half of all children in custody have experience of being looked after by local authorities, compared with 2% of the general population of Wales. Yet, there is a paucity of research concerning the impacts of Welsh legislative measures designed to assist LAC, especially those who encounter the youth justice system.

The maturing devolution settlement in Wales has arguably enabled the promotion of approaches that are ‘welfarist’ in nature, and there is potential for an augmentation of activity in this area, recommended by the Commission on Justice in Wales for full legislative devolution (Commission on Justice in Wales, 2019). Therefore, the purpose of the proposed research is to create new knowledge and understandings of the ways that LAC’s are supported in Wales. This will be done by generating robust data to provide new insights from key stakeholders such as practitioners and those who have been LAC, concerning their lived experiences of the child care and criminal justice system, or making decisions to create policy or provide services to LAC’s. In addition to compare legislative intention to mitigate criminogenic factors for LAC’s with the realities of their lived experiences in order to draw upon research participants’ experiences to develop policy and practice recommendations to aid further work to mitigate criminogenic factors faced by LAC’s.

Initially, the research will ask: To what extent has Welsh welfare-focused legislation and policy mitigated the criminogenic factors that are often associated with being a ‘looked after child’? This will be achieved by answering the following sub-questions:

  • What specific legislative measures have the Welsh Government put in place for LAC’s to mitigate criminogenic factors that may affect them?
  • What types of support, facilitated by Welsh law, are provided for LAC’s to mitigate criminogenic factors and are these consistently offered throughout Wales?
  • What experiences first introduce LAC’s to the youth justice system and what experiences occur thereafter?
Academia.edu:
https://www.swansea.ac.uk/law/ccjc/
ResearchGate:
Alaina_Turner2

Vanstone, Faye

Vanstone, Faye
Start date:
September 2016
Research Topic:
Life History Interviews With Imprisoned Sexual Offenders
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr Alisa Stevens and Dr Kirsty Hudson
Supervising school:
Primary funding source:
Economic and Social Research Council
Research keywords:
; ;

My research focuses on men in prison who have a conviction for rape. I have undertaken life history interviews at two UK prisons with male sexual offenders in order to elicit a better understanding, from the perspectives of the offenders, of the causes of sexual violence. With the reformulation of the Sex Offender Treatment Programme into ‘Kaizen’ and ‘Horizon’, this is a particularly useful time to consider and explore the criminogenic needs of this population of sexual offenders.

My research also focuses on the notion of ‘sexual consent’, ‘shame’ and desistance.

Warreth, Shahed

Warreth, Shahed
Start date:
October 2021
Research Topic:
The Application of Digital Forensics and Machine Learning to Automatically Detect and Flag Modified Online Terrorist Propaganda
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Prof Stuart Macdonald and Dr Reza Montasari
Supervising school:
Primary funding source:
ESRC Wales
External Sponsor:
Tech Against Terrorism
Research keywords:
; ; ;

Due to the ever increasing amount of content, social media companies are employing machine learning and artificial intelligence (ML/AI) in order to scale content moderation. However, context is often key in detecting extremist propaganda and other violative content, which ML/AI is unable to understand. Groups across extremist ideologies are adept at gaming the terms of service, including posting content that seems innocuous when taken at face value as well as violative content that has been modified. This becomes even more problematic for small companies which do not have many resources but host the majority of this content.

Whilst some of the modifications employed by terrorist groups/sympathisers to evade detection are basic, others are more sophisticated and exploit commercial or open-source anti-forensic methods and tools. The aim of this project is to study the application of digital forensics methods – together with machine learning techniques – to the automated detection of terrorist content that has been modified to evade identification. This project will employ criminology frameworks as well as computer science to advance understanding of terrorists’ use of online spaces and propaganda dissemination strategies, to inform efforts to develop tools to detect content that has been modified to evade detection.

Williams, Samuel

Williams, Samuel
Start date:
October 2021
Research Topic:
Terrorism
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Martin Innes
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC
Research keywords:

Title: How misinformation in the aftermath of terror attacks has been used to influence public reactions by the UK far-right.

Using a comparative case study design, and concepts attending to processes of social reaction, the research will engage with the following key questions:

• How have far-right groups exploited misinformation following terror attacks to influence public behaviour and understanding, both online and offline?
• Why have these groups constructed and communicated different types of messages following such events, and who have been their target audiences?
• What implications do these findings have for understanding terror events, processes of social reaction and the contemporary media ecosystem?

Empirically, two terrorist attacks will be focused on. In order to analyse public reactions to terrorist attacks, Twitter data will be collected using Brandwatch and Sentinel. Additionally, newspaper articles will be collected as well as far-right posts from both Twitter and Telegram. This data will be subject to both quantitative and qualitative analysis in order to address a particular gap in social scientific knowledge..

Academia.edu:
https://independent.academia.edu/SamuelWilliams134
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/

Wilson, Christopher

Start date:
October 2016
Research Topic:
The restorative nature of Cirles of Support and Accountability
Research pathway:
Research Supervisor:
Dr Kirsty Hudson
Supervising school:
School of Social Sciences,
Primary funding source:
ESRC Studentship

Circles of Support and Accountability (Circles) are one of the most successful restorative based reintegration schemes for those persons released from prison who have been convicted of sexual offences and are considered by the statutory agencies to continue to pose a high risk of harm to the community in which they now live. Circles are unique in their ability to engage and empower that local community to take responsibility for their own protection and safety by ensuring that such a person, known to the Circle as the core member is safely reintegrated and held accountable for their past offending behaviour. The Circle works in partnership with and is supported by, those agencies responsible for the risk management of the core member.

The research question will use a qualitative, mixed methodology and will focus upon identifying what restorative processes exists within a Circle for those volunteers who have themselves experienced sexual violence. It is hoped that the research will inform both the policy and practice of a wide range of agencies who work to support and manage those persons released from prison and living in the community who continue to be regarded as a potential danger to that community.

It is the intention of this research to replicate the study’s methodology and collect data from the three separate European countries of Wales, England and the Netherlands all of who operate the Circles scheme.

In this crucial field of social science research, the Wales DTP pathway offers both critical mass and a strongly interdisciplinary research environment. The pathway straddles the Cardiff University School of Social Sciences (SOCSI) and the Department of Criminology at Swansea. SOCSI is one of the largest such schools in the UK and a recognised centre of research excellence. At Swansea, criminology sits within the College of Law and Criminology, adding complementary interdisciplinarity in legal studies, the Wales Observatory on Human Rights of Children and Young People, and the collaborative Centre for Criminal Justice and Criminology.

At Cardiff, there is established focus on transnational and corporate crime, and its regulation, on policing and on the governance of security. The School also hosts the Centre for Crime, Law and Justice, the Universities’ Police Science Institute, the University Institute for Crime and Security, the Centre for Open Source Communications, Analytics and Research and the Social Data Science Lab. SOCSI is also part of the ESRC/College of Policing University Consortium for Evidence-Based Crime Reduction. Criminologists at the Social Data Science Lab work closely with industry partners on crime and security research, including the Airbus Group, Cambrensis, EE, BT, and Admiral Insurance. At Swansea, the Centre for Criminal Justice and Criminology undertakes interdisciplinary empirical research on youth justice policy, community-based supervision, sex work, anti-social behaviour, white-collar crime and cybercrime. Swansea University also hosts the ESRC Administrative Data Research Centre (Wales), which facilitates access to linked, de-identified administrative data in a secure environment.

Students following a ‘1+3’ route will undertake a Masters that develops a breadth of methodological capacity as well as having specialist modules and a supervised dissertation that is more subject-specific. Students are based in either of the two locations whilst often working across them. Throughout, students come together for joint workshops, residential courses and annual conferences. Seminars include those we organise with the Wales Branch of the British Society of Criminology; conferences include the annual Welsh Criminology Conference (held at Gregynog since 2009) which now includes a residential postgraduate training day. In these and other events, students work and present alongside established researchers.