Publications

Latest Publications about Gender, Crime and Criminal Justice

Delays in Trials: the implications for victim survivors of rape and serious sexual assault

Published: July 2020

Covid-19 has significantly disrupted the operation of the criminal justice system in Scotland and elsewhere, causing considerable strain to the system, as well as uncertainty for those who are caught up in it as victims and alleged offenders. The cessation of jury trials for three months during lockdown has contributed to a significant backlog of cases with lengthy delays before trials can take...

Taking Stock of Violence in Scotland

Published: September 2019

Approaches to violence prevention have also developed apace over the same period, with increasing acknowledgement of some of the structural inequalities and inequities that shape meanings and experiences of violence. However, there is still work to be done. Whilst many neighbourhoods in Scotland have experienced an overall decline in crime, particular neighbourhoods and communities remain...

Justice Journeys Informing policy and practice through lived experience of victim‐survivors of rape and serious sexual assault

Published: August 2019

This report documents the journeys of the victim-survivors interviewed as they navigated the Scottish criminal justice system. It begins with the decision to report to the police and continues through to reporting, investigation, prosecution, trial and court verdict. The research did not intend to consider sentencing, though views on this are included where they are available. Finally,...

Young Women and Girls in Contemporary Scotland and Beyond Conference Report

Published: September 2018

Hannah Walters, Amanda Ptolomey and Donna MacLellan, University of Glasgow PhD researchers, collectively known as Girlhood Gang, hosted their first conference on 5 September 2018: Young Women and Girls in Contemporary Scotland and Beyond. Held in Glasgow Women’s Library and Olympia Social Research Hub, the conference was attended by 60 academics, students, practitioners, activists, volunteers,...

The Scottish Prisons Commission 10 Years On – A Briefing Paper

Published: July 2018

This briefing paper highlights the key issues that the Commission concerned itself with during its deliberations, quoting from its report and sketching how the landscape in these areas has developed since then. We hope it serves as a useful refresher for stimulating your participation at the conference on 29th June 2018. The presentations, lectures and discussion at this event will inform the...

Scottish Prisons Commission Conference Programme

Published: June 2018

‘Home game’: domestic abuse and football

Published: February 2018

Increased reports of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) following football matches have been documented, within both quantitative studies and the media, leading to questions about the policy and practice responses required. However, qualitative research facilitating understanding of the apparent link between football and DVA is lacking. Drawing upon research with key stakeholders across England...

Working with women and girls: researching experiences of vicarious traumatisation

Published: February 2018

This Report presents emergent findings from a Wellcome Trust funded project [Ref: 201651/Z/16/Z] on service providers’ experiences of working with criminal justice-involved women and girls. The analysis in the Report is based on data from 35 in-depth interviews conducted in a variety of custodial and community based settings across Scotland between February and December 2017.

Evaluation of the Rape Crisis Scotland National Advocacy Project, Final Report 2018

Published: January 2018

Oona Brooks-Hay, Michele Burman, Lisa Bradley and Deborah Kyle This is the final report detailing findings from the evaluation of Rape Crisis Scotland’s National Advocacy Project (NAP). It draws upon data gathered since the launch of the NAP in February 2016 to the end of August 2017. Findings are presented in three main sections: key national stakeholder perspectives; survivor data and...

Evaluation of the Rape Crisis Scotland National Advocacy Project Summary Report Jan 2018

Published: January 2018

There has been increased attention paid to sexual violence by both the UK and Scottish Government, amidst a context in which the response of the criminal justice system in dealing with rape and serious sexual assault, and its impact upon those reporting these offences, has been subject to scrutiny. Enduring concerns such as ‘secondary victimisation’ (Kelly et al., 2005; Burman, 2009), high...