Dr Charlotte Coleman MSc, PhD, FHEA
Deputy Head Sheffield Institute of Social Sciences, Forensic Psychologist (Youth and Violent Crime)
Summary
I lead on Student Experience and Outcomes for the Sheffield Institute of Social Sciences and support areas of change and development.
I have extensive experience in working with the police and other agencies, undertaking activity related to violence and youth crime/behaviour. For example, I am an Executive member of the Society for Evidence Based Policing and involved in research with police forces, probation, Violence Reduction Units and Youth organisations around anti-knife crime research and evaluation, domestic abuse, reducing exploitation and recidivism risks, and evaluating interventions designed to prevent/reduce offending behaviour.
About
I completed my PhD in Children’s Eyewitness Testimony and have theoretical and practical experience of generating reliable information from children and young people in interviews and working with vulnerable children. I also have expertise and experience in quantitative and qualitative research methods and analysis, and draw upon both academic and professional experience of analysing and working with data.
I also undertakes research into student experiences, particularly in relation to experiencing and managing stress. Other areas of interest: Children’s development, particularly cognitive development, developmental research methods, forensic psychology and children's ability to give 'temporal testimony.
Children’s development, particularly cognitive development, developmental research methods, forensic psychology and children's ability to give 'temporal testimony.
Teaching
I am an experienced lecturer having taught Psychology to students in Higher Education at all levels in many settings from large lectures to one-to-one tuition.
I have a great interest in bringing the real world into the classroom and helping students developing applied skills that will benefit themselves and the organisations that they work with.
I am also a keen Academic Advisor, taking my role in supporting students very seriously. Academic Advising is the teaching I enjoy the most, giving me great satisfaction to see my students grow and achieve.
Research
My primary area of expertise is in Child Eyewitness Testimony and forensic interviews with children.
I also have much experience in applied research, particularly with South Yorkshire Police, for whom I have explored perceptions of policing and engagement with young people, reducing RTC's around primary schools, evaluating change in the workplace, and interventions to reduce knife crime.
I am currently working on the UKRI/Rephrain funded 3PO online harms project, exploring the extent to which police officers experience Negative Online Experiences. https://3po-project.co.uk/
I have carried out research with a range of organisations and on a number of topics as below:
• Youth Endowment Fund funded evaluation of the Leicester Violence Reduction Network’s Schools Navigator programme (YEF funded, 2021)
• N8 Policing Research Partnership funded research into the sensitising effects of knife crime imagery on young people. (N8 PRP funded, 2020).
• N8 Policing Research Partnership funded research: Impact of Covid 19 pandemic on people reporting domestic violence (N8 PRP funded, 2020).
• Knife crime and young people - exploring promising strategy, interventions and casework in Youth Offending Teams in England and Wales (HMI funded, 2020).
• Process and impact evaluation of the effectiveness of South and West Yorkshire Violence Reduction Units (Home Office funded, 2020).
• Development of guidance for First Responders of child victims: Project GRACE (Europol funded, 2020)
• Development of RCT testing and evaluation framework for Virtual Reality trials testing for the Ministry of Defence (2020)
Publications
Journal articles
Gurung, J., Turner, J., Freeman, E., Coleman, C., Iacovou, S., & Hemingway, S. (2023). An evaluation of MINDFIT—A student therapeutic running group as a multi-layered intervention in the United Kingdom. Nursing Reports, 13 (1), 456-469. http://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep13010042
Cogan, N., Chin-Van Chau, Y., Russell, K., Linden, W., Swinson, N., Eckler, P., ... Hunter, S.C. (2022). Are images of seized knives an effective crime deterrent? A comparative thematic analysis of young people’s views within the Scottish context. Journal of Youth Studies. http://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2022.2086038
Davis, A.M.B., Coleman, C., & Kramer, R.S.S. (2021). Parenting styles and types: Breastfeeding attitudes in a large sample of mothers. Midwifery, 103. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2021.103142
Malone, C., Coleman, C., Freeman, E., & Jamison-Powell, S. (2020). Embedding Academic Literacies through Growing Student and Staff Communities. Journal of Academic Writing, 10 (1), 98-112. http://doi.org/10.18552/joaw.v10i1.625
Metcalfe, C. (2020). Academic Advising at a distance; exploring the provision of support on placement. Rapport: The International Journal for Recording Achievement, Planning, and Portfolios, (5), 41-47. https://viewer.joomag.com/rapport-issue-5/0510730001598540519
Reports
Newberry, M., Ashton-Wigman, S., Coleman, C., & Mottram, B. (2014). Abusive relationships : an exploration of the experiences of individuals referred to the Domestic Violence Unit at Rotherham Police Station. South Yorkshire Police.
Other activities
Professional affiliations:
Society for Evidence Based Policing (SEBP) Yorkshire and Humberside executive member
Youth Justice Board: Academic Liaison Network member
Youth Endowment Fund Peer Reviewer
UKAT Recognised Practitioner in Advising (RPA)
Postgraduate supervision
I am currently supervising PhD students exploring: Knife Crime, Child Criminal Exploitation, Gang related violence, Children's mental health, and Student mental health.
Media
I am experienced in working with legal and crime organisations both in a research and consultancy capacity, for example as an expert witness. I am currently working on cutting edge research into knife crime that should have national impact on policy and decision making.