Criminology
Criminology at Queen’s is internationally recognised for its research contributions and teaching excellence.
Criminology asks difficult questions about the criminal law and its enforcement. What is crime? Who is a criminal? Does punishment deter crime or create more harm? There are few more interesting places to study these dynamics of crime and justice than Northern Ireland, and Queen’s University Belfast has a long history of outstanding research and teaching on the subject with particular expertise on the lives of young people in conflict with the law. In all of our work, we seek to better understand the behaviours of the criminal justice system and other state actors and their role in combatting or exacerbating this offending. With an overarching social justice perspective, our research situates these questions in the wider socio-political contexts in which they occur.
Over 88% of research submitted by colleagues from Criminology, Social Policy, Sociology and Social Work to the Social Policy and Social Work Unit of Assessment (UoA) was judged to be World Leading or Internationally Excellent. An endorsement of the quality of our research and its impacts in areas such as the penal system, mental health and trauma; work once again achieved through work undertaken in partnership with the health, social care and criminal justice sectors. We are delighted that Social Work and Social Policy (including Sociology and Criminology) has been ranked at 12th in the UK (Times Higher Education Social Work and Social Policy UoA table).
IN THE UK
What is Criminology?
Dr John Topping, Queen's University Belfast, asks the question 'What is Criminology?'
KEY THEMES
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Academic Staff
Name | Area of Expertise | Telephone | |
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Professor Michelle Butler | Prisons; Psychology of Crime; Penal Reform | michelle.butler@qub.ac.uk | +44 (0)28 9097 3956 |
Dr Mary-Louise Corr | Young People in Conflict with the Law; Youth Justice; Domestic Violence; Homelessness; Marginalised youth; Biographical Research. | m.corr@qub.ac.uk | +44 (0)28 9097 5370 |
Dr Teresa Degenhardt | Criminology of War; Policing/Military Continuum; Social Control | t.degenhardt@qub.ac.uk | +44 (0)28 9097 1244 |
Dr Kevin Hearty | Transitional Justice; Victimology; Political Violence; Critical Criminology; Human Rights; Policing. | k.hearty@qub.ac.uk | +44 (0)28 9097 1176 |
Dr Sarah Jankowitz | Peacebuilding, Reconciliation and Transitional Justice; Victimology; Gender and social justice | sarah.jankowitz@qub.ac.uk | +44 (0)28 9097 3196 |
Professor Shadd Maruna (on sabbatical Aug-Dec 2023) |
Prisons & Penal Reform; Psychology of Crime; Penal Reform; Desistance from Crime | s.maruna@qub.ac.uk | +44 (0)28 9097 5986 |
Dr Siobhan McAlister | Young People in Conflict with the Law; Youth Marginalisation; Sensitive Research; Children’s Rights. | s.mcalister@qub.ac.uk | +44 (0)28 9097 5918 |
Professor Andrew Percy | Quantitative Criminology; Adolescent Development; Longitudinal Research; and Alcohol and Drug Use. | a.percy@qub.ac.uk | +44 (0)28 9097 5261 |
Dr John Topping | Police Practice; Police Reform; Security Governance and Stop/Search. | j.topping@qub.ac.uk | +44 (0)28 9097 3630 |
Dr Julia Vieback |
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j.viebach@qub.ac.uk | |
Dr Colm Walsh |
Youth violence; psychological trauma; masculinity; evidence based practice; service design and evaluation. |
colm.walsh@qub.ac.uk | +44 (0)28 9097 3174 |
Research Staff |
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Dr Gillian McNaull |
Criminalisation of women; the harms of imprisonment; transformative justice; the political economy of imprisonment. |
gillian.mcnaull@qub.ac.uk | +44 (0)28 9097 5910 |
Dr David Scott |
Young People in Conflict with the Law; Youth Justice; Mental Health; Diversion and Liaison Services; Evidence Based Practice. |
david.scott@qub.ac.uk | +44 (0)28 9097 5759 |
Dr Brendan Sturgeon |
Peacebuilding; Social-Spatial Segregation; Evidence based practice; Service design and Evaluation. |
b.sturgeon@qub.ac.uk | +44 (0)28 9097 5052 |