Biography

Since 1996, I have undertaken research focusing on the impact of crime on victims and victims' families, the criminal justice response, the development of policy and legislation, evaluating the impact of legislation and the impact on professional practices and culture. I work collaboratively with victims of crime, the police, the CPS, the courts and a range of third sector agencies. I am currently a member of the Victim Commissioner's Advisory Board, the Independent Facilitator for the CPS Wessex VAWG Scrutiny Panel, and a member of the Hampshire Constabulary Victim and Witness Group, a subcommittee of the Local Criminal Justice Board. I am also a Trustee for Aurora New Dawn, a domestic abuse, sexual violence and stalking charity. 

Expertise:

  • Victimology
  • Role of victims in the criminal justice system
  • Victims of violent crime
  • Violent crime, domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and fraud
  • Probation
  • Gender and criminology
  • Qualitative research methods

Research interests

  • Theoretical exploration of using restorative pronciples as an early intervention method for domestic abuse.
  • 2015 - commissioned research to undertake a Strategic Victims' Needs Assessment for the South East Police and Crime Commissioners.
  • Victims of Fraud research commissioned by the National Fraud Strategic Authority (2009)
  • From "Good Citizen" to "Deserving Client": an Analysis of the Relationship between Victims and the State using Citizenship as the Conceptualising Tool.Unpublished PhD thesis (2003) A longitudinal, qualitative study with victims of violent crime and their experiences of the criminal justice system, from initial reporting to the final outcome.
  • Research undertaken on behalf of the Dorset Criminal Justice Board including an audit of local services for victims and witnesses and a witness satisfaction survey.
  • Research which focusses on victims of domestic violence (both male and female) who have been assessed as high risk and made subject to a Multi- Agency Risk Assessment Conference. In particular, this study is looking at victim satisfaction with the police.
  • An evaluation of Probation victim contact work.