Shelley Cathers is a final year PhD student in the Department of Psychology in the Institute of Population Health. Her PhD is funded by the Duncan Norman Research Scholarship.
My journey to a PhD
I joined the University of Liverpool in 2020 to complete the MSc Investigative and Forensic Psychology course. My MSc dissertation involved working with young people in an Alternative Education Provision. On a few occasions, I engaged with young people 'involved in criminality' - however, I often questioned 'are they choosing to engage in criminality? Or is there something more going on?' This led me to learn about child criminal exploitation (CCE). CCE occurs when a child is coerced or manipulated into committing a criminal act, usually by an older individual. After several conversations with my supervisors; Dr Susan Giles, Dr Sara Waring and Dr Freya O'Brien we decided to apply for the Duncan Norman Research Fellowship to further explore CCE.
My research
CCE affects all aspects of the child's life, such as their education, their relationships with family and friends, and their mental and physical health. Therefore, a multi-agency response is required to address these impacts. Although national guidance advocates for a multi-agency response - little is known about practitioners' experiences of implementing this in practice. In addition, CCE is an extra-familial harm (i.e. it occurs outside the family home). Despite this -parents often feel blamed, isolated and stigmatised rather than being included as partners in safeguarding their child.
My research aims to understand the perspectives of those who are intimately involved in the response to CCE - including professionals (e.g. police, social workers, educators), parents and caregivers. I completed interviews with these individuals to understand what factors help or hinder the response to CCE. By triangulating these various groups perspectives, I will identify core factors that are required for an effective response to CCE. My research argues that we need not only a multi-agency response but also a multi-level response. This means that effective response is required at the micro level (for example the individual practitioner), the meso level (the organisation) and the macro level (for example from government).
Completing a fellowship in parliament
Whilst completing my PhD, I had the privilege of undertaking a fellowship in Parliament through the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), funded by the British Psychological Society. The fellowship aims to bridge the gap between academic research and policy - POST plays a key role in ensuring this happens. They produce impartial, non-partisan, and peer reviewed briefings (called POSTnotes) that will inform Members of Parliament (MPs) and Peers about a topic that is of current interest to Parliament. POSTnotes take complex scientific topics and translate them into digestible, jargon-free, policy-focused briefings.
During my time at POST, I was assigned to work on a topic that was completely new to me: Virtual Wards and Hospital at Home. I interviewed leading experts from academia, industry, and the third sector to ensure the POSTnote was accurate and included the most important considerations for policymakers. With the support of my advisor, Dr Clare Lally, I was able to produce a comprehensive, clear, concise, and peer-reviewed POSTnote (view here).
