A Pangolin in a cage

Discover our research in victimology and ecological justice

Exploring the role of victims in criminal justice and human-induced forms of environmental harm.

The Victimology and Ecological Justice group brings together researchers from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Our aim is to explore what combinations can be created to highlight our teaching and research across the following areas:

  • Gender, intersectionality and inequalities
  • Victims and victimisation
  • Policy and legislation 
  • Implementation of reforms
  • Impact on professional cultures
  • Female offenders
  • Ecological justice, wildlife crime, conservation and climate change

Victims of crime remain high on the political and criminal justice agenda following the wider politicisation of crime victims in the 1990s. Since then, the needs and rights of crime victims have been widely debated and remain a highly contested area for reform. Despite the introduction of Victims’ Charters and Codes of Practice, these entitlements remain discretionary rather than legally enforceable. Calls continue for victims to have legislative rights to be enshrined in a Victim’s Law and the findings of a recent public consultation are still awaited. 

Recognition of legitimate forms of victimisation have expanded significantly over the last three decades due to activism and campaigning. These include behaviours not previously recognised as criminal — for example, domestic abuse, stalking, sexual harassment and honour based violence — and new crimes resulting from developments in technology, such as internet fraud, cybercrime, and image-based sexual abuse (more commonly known as ‘revenge porn’). There has also been an acceleration of crimes that some thought no longer existed, such as human trafficking and modern day slavery.  

More recently, ‘green’ criminology has developed into a rich seam of criminological enquiry, enabling a focus on human-induced environmental harm, through the lens and development of Green Victimology. The United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly referred to as COP, has elevated the urgency. The discipline has flourished with a critical focus on the climate and environmental crises, to embrace both a ‘wildlife criminology’ (Nurse & Wyatt, 2020) and a ‘climate change criminology’ (White, 2020).

Research impact

We have worked with the Wildlife Conservation Society in the development of a Wildlife Crime Leadership Initiative, designing and delivering courses for investigators in Asia. 

We have collaborated with the Zoological Society of London in the development and visualisation of fingermarks on Pangolin scales using gelatine lifters, in order to combat poaching. 

Dr Jacki Tapley, Lead of the Victimology and Ecological Justice research group, has worked on behalf of the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice, the Victims’ Commissioner and Police and Crime Commissioners. She holds a range of relevant editorial and trustee positions and serves on several advisory groups to support the role of victims in criminal justice policy making.

Teaching and related courses

The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice also delivers short courses on behalf of the Wildlife Conservation Society, as part of their leadership initiative.

Researchers

Group lead:

Deputy group lead:

Jacqueline Denise Tapley Portrait

Dr Jacki Tapley

Principal Lecturer

Jacki.Tapley@port.ac.uk

School of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

PhD Supervisor

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Nicholas John Howden Pamment Portrait

Dr Nick Pamment

Director of Innovation

Nick.Pamment@port.ac.uk

School of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

PhD Supervisor

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Group members:

Sophie Elizabeth Hanspal Portrait

Miss Sophie Hanspal

Senior Teaching Fellow

Sophie.Hanspal@port.ac.uk

School of Criminology and Criminal Justice

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Jacqueline Ann Reed Portrait

Ms Jac Reed

Senior Lecturer

jac.reed@port.ac.uk

School of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

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Explore our research

School of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Read more about the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, and explore the teaching and research activities that take place within it.

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