Rebecca Hamer
Research Associate
Summary
Dr Rebecca Hamer is a Research Associate with academic and professional experience of gendered experiences of addiction and the drug treatment system under austerity politics. Rebecca’s research is predominantly qualitative and is focused on the experience of complex disadvantage, trauma and the role of the statutory and voluntary sectors in the amelioration or exacerbation of this. Rebecca has led the evaluation of the Stovewood Trauma and Resilience Service for the last three years and consequently has unique insight into the needs of CSE trauma survivors and services working to support them. Rebecca has contributed to research at CRESR including government-commissioned evaluations and research concerning multiple disadvantage, housing, homelessness and drug treatment.
About
Rebecca completed her PhD in 2022 drawing upon her academic and professional experience of women’s survival sex working and addiction. Her thesis provided women with histories of these adversities a platform to share their experience and histories and through these, Rebecca has developed the concepts of multi-dimensional trauma and the Scylla State, a gendered UK-based alternative to Wacquant’s Centaur State.
Rebecca is currently developing her work on the Scylla State, the applicability of multi-dimensional trauma and furthering the knowledge and implementation of trauma-informed approaches in research and practice.
Rebecca’s research interests include:
• Trauma-Informed Research and Practice
• Neoliberalism and the consequences for women
• Survival Sex Working
• Women’s experience of addiction and the drug treatment industry
• Gender and marginalisation
• Qualitative research
Teaching
College of Social Sciences and Arts
Research
- Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research
- Social and Economic Research Institute
Publications
Journal articles
Hamer, R. (2023). The Scylla State. A gendered understanding of the experiences of marginalised women in the United Kingdom. British Journal of Sociology. http://doi.org/10.1111/1468-4446.13053
Best, D., Vanderplasschen, W., Van de Mheen, D., De Maeyer, J., Colman, C., Vander Laenen, F., ... Nagelhout, G.E. (2018). REC-PATH (Recovery Pathways): overview of a four-country study of pathways to recovery from problematic drug use. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly. http://doi.org/10.1080/07347324.2018.1488550
Cunningham, S., Sanders, T., Scoular, J., Campbell, R., Pitcher, J., Hill, K., ... Hamer, R. (2018). Behind the screen: Commercial sex, digital spaces and working online. Technology in Society, 53, 47-54. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2017.11.004
Book chapters
Best, D., Colman, C., Vanderplasschen, W., Laenen, F.V., Irving, J., Edwards, M., ... Martinelli, T. (2019). How do mechanisms for behaviour change in addiction recovery apply to desistance from offending? In Strengths-Based Approaches to Crime and Substance Use. (pp. 86-102). Routledge: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315227221-5
Best, D., Hamer, R., & Hall, L. (2019). An integrated model of change: desistance and recovery. In Strengths-Based Approaches to Crime and Substance Use. (pp. 279-297). Routledge: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315227221-15
Reports
Hamer, R. (2022). Travelling through trauma: voices in partnership, 2021-22 - executive summary. Sheffield Hallam University, Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research. http://doi.org/10.7190/cresr.2022.125581967
Hamer, R. (2022). Travelling though trauma: voices in partnership, 2020-2022 - service evaluation. Sheffield Hallam University. http://doi.org/10.7190/cresr.2022.1249547970
Andersson, C., Best, D., Irving, J., Edwards, M., Banks, J., Mama-Rudd, A., & Hamer, R. (2018). Understanding recovery from a family perspective: a survey of life in recovery for families. Sheffield Hallam University for Alcohol Research UK.