Robert Hesketh

Presenty I am based at the School of Law John Moores University. I have also been with the University of Chester carrying out research into street gang culture as well as acting as Visiting lecturer in Criminology teaching on the BSc Criminology and BA Criminology & Psychology degree courses. In addition, I am also an associate tutor in Psychology with Edge Hill University focusing on Forensic Psychology (teaching Offender profiling for which I hold a postgarduate professional diploma in Criminal Profiling and Forensic Crime Scene Analysis). My research interests include deviant group behaviour and dynamics from street gangs to terrorist insurgency, radicalisation, youth crime, social exclusion studies. I have lived all my life on a former council housing estate and was the first in my family to go to university. I hold BA Hons Peychlogy and Sociology, MA Sociology and Criminal Justice, MSc Applied Psychology, PhD Criminology. I am also Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

My research has focused on involvement and abstention from street gangs in socially excluded areas of Merseyside funded by Merseyside Police and the University of Chester (specifically in Anfield and Stockbridge Village in Knowsley). From this, I have written a paper on adapting a research methodology (Biographical Narrative Interpretive Method) for interviewing young people involved in street gangs (Sage 2014).

In addition, I have also contributed to writing bids for third sector charities who focus on providing provision for young offenders and recidivists. I am presently an acting Chair on the committee with a charity in Prescot Merseyide. I have also carried out independent research for Merseycare NHS involving an evaluation of sex offenders who fall outside the MAPPA critera (HRAAM) and also an insight survey for New Deal in the Communities (NDC).