Tell us about yourself

I am a Lecturer in Psychology in Education at the University of York’s Department of Education. My research focuses on understanding learning ecologies in school and community contexts toward greater inclusion of and equity for historically underrepresented groups of students and educators.

I work across the disciplines of social, developmental, cultural and behavioural community psychology to address issues of inequality. In adopting a positive human development approach in my research, I focus on how to strengthen the existing and emerging competencies of vulnerable populations rather than view them as a problem to be fixed.

Tell us about your Early Career Researcher (ECR) Development Fund project, funded by the Centre

Through the SHaRE IT! Project, we aim to enhance procedural justice for racially minoritised young women and girls, who have experienced public sexual harassment. Toward this aim, we are working to empower this socially vulnerable group to share their voices and concerns around reporting public sexual harassment to the police and engage co-produce evidence-based solutions for improving police interactions with historically underrepresented social groups.

Insights gained from this participatory action research project will inform the development of training workshops for police officers. A social psychological approach to creating inclusive learning ecologies, adult pedagogy and education for diversity, will underpin the workshop design.

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

Consistent with the Centre’s inclusive and anti-discriminatory approach, in my current research, I adopt youth-centred approaches to co-production activities and an ethics of care and solidarity-building with historically underrepresented communities. This means that my research prioritises the voices and experiences of racially minoritised vulnerable young people, while highlighting the links between oppressive social structures and their everyday experiences.

What interests you in the connections between policing and vulnerability?

My prior research on youth violence prevention and intervention has pointed to considerable disparities in experiences of violence among historically underserved communities. Such disparities are often compounded by a lack of procedural justice in police interactions with these vulnerable communities. The Centre’s position on vulnerability and policing aligns with my view that structural changes within the police are the key to effecting sustainable change, and that these changes must not only reflect the views and experiences of the policed but also seek to empower vulnerable groups to be change agents.