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Kathryn Higgins

Photo of Dr Kathryn Higgins


BA hons QUB; Msc Cardiff, PhD (QUB)
ICCR Assistant Director
Room: 6:01:025, 6 College Park
Ext 5286; Email: k.m.higgins@qub.ac.uk

Dr Kathryn Higgins is Assistant Director for the ICCR.  She joined the Institute when it was first set up in 1995. Her research interests and publications focus on risk behaviours among young people particularly around substance use. She has also published in the area of family support and was lead researcher on the large scale study on family support conducted by the ICCR. Kathryn is also currently chair of the Northern Ireland Child Care Research Forum, a multi-disciplinary initiative created in 2004, that aims to develop a crosscutting research culture between academics, policy makers and practitioners through collaborative action in Northern Ireland. Kathryn currently supervises a number of research students, staff and projects within the ICCR.

Recent Publications

McCrystal, P., Percy, A., & Higgins, K., (2007).  Frequent Cannabis Use Among 14/15 Year Olds in Northern Ireland.  Drug and Alcohol Dependence 88, 19-27.

McCrystal, P., Percy, A., & Higgins, K (2007).  Exclusion and Marginalisation: The Experience of School Exclusion on Drug Use and Antisocial Behaviour.  Journal of Youth Studies 10 (1).

McCrystal, P., Higgins, K., & Percy, A. (2006). The Cost of Drug Use in Adolescence: Young People, Money and Substance Abuse. Drugs: Education Policy and Prevention 14, 1,1 19-28

McCrystal, P., Percy, A., & Higgins, K (2006).  Drug Use amongst young people attending emotional and behavioural difficulty units during adolescence: A longitudinal analysis.  Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties 12, 1, 49-68

McCrystal, P., Percy, A., & Higgins, K (2006).  Drug Use Patterns and Behaviours of Young People at an Increased Risk of Drug Abuse during Adolescence.  International Journal of Drug Policy 17, 393-401

McCrystal, P., Higgins, K., & Percy, A. (2006). School Exclusion Drug Use and Delinquency in Adolescence.  Journal of Adolescence 29, 829-836.

Higgins K , Kilpatrick, R. (2005) The impact of Paramilitary Violence against a heroin community in Northern Ireland. A qualitative Analysis. International Journal of Drug Policy 16, 5, 334-342

McCrystal, P., Higgins, K., Percy, A., & Thornton, M.  (2005)  Adolescent Substance Abuse Among Young People Excluded from School in Belfast. Drugs: Education Policy and Prevention, 12, 101-113.

McCrystal, P., Higgins, K., Percy, A.  (2005).  Drug use amongst 12 and 13 year olds attending emotional and behavioral difficulty units in Belfast.  Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties 10, 3, 203-218.

McCrystal, P., Higgins, K., Percy, A., & Thornton, M. (2005).  Substance Abuse among 12 and 13-year old Young People in Belfast at a High Risk of Developing Problem Drug Use, Child care in Practice, 11, 3, 313-322.

Higgins, K Percy, A and Mc Crystal, P. (2004) Secular trends in substance use:  The conflict and young people in Northern Ireland. Journal of Social Issues vol 60 no 3 485-506

Percy A, Higgins, K McCrystal, P and Thornton M (2005) Response consistently in adolescent drug use self reports, Addiction 100, 189-196.

Higgins, K Haw, S (2001) HIV and AIDS in the UK in McElrath (ed) HIV and AIDS International Perspectives. Westport, Connecticut USA: Greenwood Press p 235-253

McCrystal P, Higgins, K and Percy, A (2001) Measuring Social Exclusion: A Lifespan Approach. Radical Statistics Winter 01