Tell us about yourself

I am an Associate Professor in Sociology & Social Policy at the University of Leeds.
My work focuses on the sociological study of disability and interpersonal violence, and I work with those who have committed, as well as experienced violence. I understand that these are at times overlapping populations and I aspire towards a deeper understanding of the needs of those who have been hurt and those who hurt others. I also aim to inspire upstream thinking about social change that can help to reduce disabled people’s increased risk to experience and/or commit interpersonal violence.

I have recently led a qualitative research project that was funded by the Ministry of Justice and aimed to understand the support needs of disabled adult victim-survivors of rape and sexual violence. I am currently writing a report, commissioned by the Home Office, on disabled people’s experiences of reporting sexual violence to the police.

Previously I led an ESRC-funded project on people with learning disabilities who have sexually offended. Policing practice impacted upon these men’s daily lives as they resettled into the community post incarceration, and I have much more to learn about solutions that enable fairer treatment.

Why did you want to become a Research Affiliate?

I hope to stimulate debates about reasonable accommodations for disabled suspects and complainants, which will help the Centre achieve its ambitions to inspire more inclusive and anti-discriminatory practice. I want to connect with others who are exploring how the police and other services can best work together to prevent and reduce vulnerabilities.

How does your research connect to the Centre’s mission and values?

My work aims to illuminate how to address disabling barriers in policing practice, in other words how practice can become more inclusive and anti-discriminatory.

As part of my ESRC project I spoke to a Chief superintendent who spotted a signpost labelling the “holding room” in his custody suite. He realised this wording might frighten an autistic suspect who thinks in literal terms and does not like touch. The room was renamed “secure waiting area”. This inexpensive change has significant potential to reduce anxiety. The removal of this disabling barrier prevented unnecessary disadvantages. My work is solution-focused, in that it highlights such examples.