My research interests are in the fields of young people and conflict legacy, social justice and criminal justice. I have a particular interest in participatory research with children and young people on topics deemed more sensitive. Recent research projects include:

• RADICAL (Respect and Disrespect in Childrens and Adolescents Lives, 2022-2024) - Dis/respect has traditionally be theorised by adults and applied by them to the attitudes and behaviours of children and young people. Funded by the ESRC, this project works with co-researchers to engage with children and young people in survey, dialogue hubs, philosphical dialogues and narratives interviews to develop a child-informed theory of respect.
• Violence Against Girls and Young Women (2022-2023) - This research was commissioned by The Executive Office to inform the N. Ireland Strategic Framework to End Violence Against Women and Girls. It examined girls and young womens experiences and understandings of violence and their views on responding to violence against women and girls. 
• Youth Justice: Tracing the Review (commissioned by Include Youth, the Children's Law Centre, VOYPIC and NIACRO, 2021) - Through documentary analysis and interviews with key stakeholders the research examines progress on implementation of the NI Youth Justice Review (2011) recommendations, examining barriers and enablers to progress. The findings will be used by the commissioning organisations to advocated for youth justice reform.
• Over-representation in the Youth Justice System (2021-2022) - Funded by the Department of Justice, this research involved analysis of administative data and interviews with key stakeholders to identify and examine the potential over-reprsentation of groups of children in the youth justice system.
• Transgenerational Legacy and Young People (Commissioned by Commission for Victims and Survivors, 2019-2021) - Adopting a child-rights based approach this research examines the impacts of conflict legacy on children and young people in Northern Ireland and the border regions of Ireland. The research engages with children and young people, parents, youth and community workers, departmental representatives and regional and statutory bodies. Two young people's advisory groups worked alongside the QUB team on research design, analysis and dissemination.

I convene a number of undegraduate and postgraduate modules, including:

• Youth and Social Justice
• Qualitative Research in Childhood and Youth
• Crime and the Media
• Youth Justice Dissertation 

I also contribute lectures to a range of modules including:

• Perspectives in Childhood and Youth
• Childhood and Youth Research in Practice
• Criminology/Sociology Dissertation Module
• Approaches to Social Research
• Crime and Society

Adminstrative Duties

Programme Director PG Dip/MSc Youth Justice (2023 - ongoing)

Programme Director PG Dip/MSc Children's Rights (2024-ongoing)

Programme Director PG Cert (online) Children's Rights and Participation (2024-ongoing)

Senior Personal Tutor (2020-2023)

Programme Director BA Criminology (2017-2019)

Programme Director PG Dip/MSc in Youth Justice (2014-2019)

Membership

Associate Editor of the Journal for Youth Studies (2022 - ongoing)

Member of the Centre for Children's Rights

Member of the All-Ireland Network on Sexual Violence Research (2023-ongoing)

Member of the Partnership Steering Group for the Peace IV funded Strive Programme (2018 - present)

Member of 'Excluded Lives' Research Advisory Group (2020 - ongoing)

Member of Expert Advisory Group 'Studying Real Conversations to Examine Children's Participation and Engagement' (2023 - ongoing)

Member of Participation Forum, NI Commission for Children and Young People (2022 - ongoing)

Member of Communities in Transition Evaluation Advisory Group (2021-ongoing)

Google Scholar Profile