Claire Bennett

Dr Claire Bennett is a Senior Researcher in NatCen's Crime & Justice team. She has a strong interest in qualitative research particularly with vulnerable groups and on sensitive topics. She is currently working on Risk and Resilience, a suicide prevention study and on an evaluation of witness experiences of Section 28 (part of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999).

Prior to joining NatCen, Claire completed her PhD exploring lesbian perspectives of navigating the UK asylum process which included analysing the impact of repeatedly disclosing incidents of rape and sexual violence and the legal requirement to ‘evidence your sexuality’.

Claire has developed an expertise in working with women who have experienced violence (physical and sexual) and has nine years’ experience working specifically with women refugees and asylum seekers (both internationally and in the UK).

Claire is a Visiting Scholar (2013-2015) at the Weeks Centre for Social and Policy Research, London South Bank University and a member of the Board of Trustees for Detention Action, an NGO working in Detention Centres across the UK.
Claire’s Book Sexuality, Oppression and Forced Migration will be available from Routledge in April 2016.