PhD Studentship - Understanding threat, risk, and harm in the policing of suspects of sex offences

Program Overview

This fully funded PhD program explores the psychological underpinnings of threat, risk, and harm in policing suspects of sex offenses. It aims to examine current methods of measuring these concepts, investigate their application in policing tools, and evaluate their ethical and legal implications, especially concerning bias and fairness. Graduates can pursue careers in research, consultancy, academia, or entrepreneurship.

Program Outline

The program aims to explore how these concepts are used within policing, their psychological underpinnings, and their application in tools, assessments, and judgments.

Objectives:

• To examine the psychological mechanisms of threat, risk, and harm and how they are operationalized in policing.
• To assess the suitability and accuracy of these operationalizations in relation to the underlying psychological concepts.
• To investigate the current methods of measuring threat, risk, and harm, particularly in relation to convicted and non-convicted populations.
• To analyze the use of these concepts in policing tools and assessments, including risk assessment structured tools and the use of 'big data' for large-scale decisions.
• To evaluate the ethical and legal implications of using these concepts in policing, particularly in relation to bias and fairness.

Careers:

A research degree can open new career opportunities in commercial research and development, consultancy, or could lead you to starting your own business. You may alternatively consider a career in academia. You may wish to undertake research to contribute to your knowledge of a specialist subject, or develop your employability by enhancing your skills in project management and analysis.

Other:

• The student who undertakes this PhD must be eligible for UK policing security clearance.
• The closing date for applications is 31 May 2024.
• The program is fully funded and includes a maintenance grant of £18,622 per year, a fee waiver for 36 months, and funding for fieldwork and conference attendance.
• The program is supported by the Research Development Programme, developed by the Doctoral College in line with the Researcher Development Framework (Vitae).
• The program offers the opportunity to meet researchers from other academic schools at BU through the activities of the Doctoral College.