Experiences of violence and abuse by women involved in the criminal justice system (ref: PHIL24/ADSS/SS/MITCHELL)

Across the life course, women involved in the criminal justice system overwhelmingly experience victimisation, including childhood physical and sexual abuse and adulthood abuse from intimate partners (Corston 2007). This negatively impacts on their physical and mental health, and relationships with their children (Mitchell, 2024). During incarceration, some women continue to experience abuse by partners in the outside community. This continued abuse includes forms of psychological and economic abuse, as well as dynamics relating to parenting, such as limiting or threatening behaviour and limited communication with children (Garthe et al 2024). 

Women involved in the criminal justice system are disproportionately experiencing multiple forms of economic, social, and political exclusion and marginalisation (Segrave and Carlton 2010). Moreover, they commonly have extensive histories of childhood and adulthood violence. Their victimization experiences, particularly experiences of adverse childhood experiences and domestic violence, are linked with multiple concerning outcomes, including mental and physical health concerns, intensified economic precarity and homelessness, and engagement in forms of survival that are often criminalised (Farmer 2019). 

This PhD project will explore the experiences of violence, abuse and exploitation that women have before, during and after their incarceration. These experiences can include modern day slavery, financial, criminal, sexual exploitation, home take overs, radicalisation, and mate crime, as well as manipulation and emotional abuse. The project will seek to recruit women with experience of the criminal justice system and, using narrative biographical methods, will explore their understanding of violence and abuse, from childhood to present day, including those experienced while incarcerated. It will highlight who conducted the abuse, what form it took, and how the woman escaped it, or otherwise

Academic Enquiries

This project is supervised by Dr. Sophie Mitchell. For informal queries, please contact [email protected] For all other enquiries relating to eligibility or application process please use the email form below to contact Admissions. 

Eligibility Requirements:

• Academic excellence i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities with preference for 1st class honours); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.

• Appropriate IELTS score, if required.

• Applicants cannot apply if they are already a PhD holder or if currently engaged in Doctoral study at Northumbria or elsewhere.

To be classed as a Home student, candidates must:

• Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or

• have settled status, or

• have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or

• have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an International student and be ineligible for the studentship.  

Applicants will need to be in the UK and fully enrolled before stipend payments can commence and be aware of the following additional costs that may be incurred, as these are not covered by the studentship.

· Immigration Health Surcharge https://www.gov.uk/healthcare-immigration-application 

· Costs associated with English Language requirements which may be required for students not having completed a first degree in English, will not be paid by the University. 

For further details on how to apply see

https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/   

In your application, please include a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words and the advert reference (e.g. PHIL24/…).

Deadline for applications: 6 March 2025

interviews: TBC March 2025

Start date of course: 1 May 2025

Northumbria University is committed to creating an inclusive culture where we take pride in, and value, the diversity of our postgraduate research students. We encourage and welcome applications from all members of the community. The University holds a bronze Athena Swan award in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality, we are a Disability Confident Leader, a member of the Race Equality Charter and are participating in the Stonewall Diversity Champion Programme. We also hold the HR Excellence in Research award for implementing the concordat supporting the career Development of Researchers and are members of the Euraxess initiative to deliver information and support to professional researchers.