Matthew Tonkin

I have conducted research on a range of topics within investigative psychology, including offender profiling, geographical profiling and crime linkage. For example, I'm one of the founding members of the Crime Linkage International Network (C-LINK), which is a group of academics and police practitioners from seven countries that was set up with support from the Leverhulme Trust. The aim of the network is to conduct research that enhances the evidence base for crime linkage. For more information on the work of C-LINK, visit our website.

I have also conducted a wide range of research in partnership with various prison and forensic healthcare providers, including research on prison bullying, the use of novel psychoactive substances in prison, art and drama therapy in prison settings, offence paralleling behaviour, aggression and self-harm.

I am also particularly interested in social climate, treatment readiness and offender motivation. For example, I led the first multi-site validation study in England of the Essen Climate Evaluation Schema (EssenCES), which is a short questionnaire designed to measure the social climate in prisons and forensic psychiatric hospital settings. I also co-authored the first statistical manual of the EssenCES with Dr Norbert Schalast (the measure’s developer).