Forensic

The Forensic Group is a leading applied research team committed to understanding the psychological processes and decision-making that affect vulnerable populations in both real-world and online contexts.

We collaborate with a wide range of partners—including local, national, and international law enforcement agencies, local authorities, third sector organisations, and forensic treatment settings—to drive innovative research and interventions that support improved public safety and wellbeing. 

Our work spans diverse disciplines such as social, organisational, cognitive, forensic, and applied psychology. We focus on key areas including: 

• Evidence-based behavioural models to support police decision-making: Developing behavioural models and risk assessments that can assist investigative decision-making in sexual offence, domestic violence, missing person, equivocal death and homicide investigations. Collaborating internationally to apply our methods across cultures

• Organisational responses to missing persons and child criminal exploitation: Exploring shifts in systems thinking and evaluating intra and inter-agency strategies and interventions

• Digital identity and deviance: Investigating psychological factors behind cybercrime, technology-facilitated abuse, and online child sexual abuse, and creating solutions to mitigate these risks

• Violence and aggression experienced by those with protected characteristics:  Exploring relational violence, individual differences, and personality traits that contribute to aggression in vulnerable and marginalized populations

• Evidence-based practice: Working with organisations to measure outcomes, impact, cost-effectiveness, and systems-level improvements.

With funding from ESRC, EPSRC, and Home Office, we aim to bridge research and practice, enhancing decision-making, multi-agency collaboration, and intervention strategies to ensure the safety and protection of vulnerable individuals,