Dr Aimee Neaverson

Senior Lecturer
Faculty:
Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences
School:
Humanities and Social Sciences
Location:
Cambridge
Areas of Expertise:
Criminology
Research Supervision:
Yes

Aimee is a criminologist whose research interests lie in developmental criminology, youth justice, protective factors, youth aggression and grooming by County Line Gangs.

[email protected]

Background

Aimee is a Senior Lecturer and joined ARU in October 2016 after working as the BA (Hons) Criminology Degree course leader and lecturer at University Centre Peterborough since 2010.

Aimee has experience teaching Criminology at the UK HEI level as well as the Canadian HEI level since 2005. She has taught on a variety of modules including Criminal Justice, Theories of Deviance, Violent Crime, Youth Justice, Trials and Errors and Comparative Criminal Justice. Prior to starting her lecturing position in the UK in 2010, Aimee worked at a high secure unit for adolescent females.

Before moving to England, Aimee completed her Master's Degree in Criminology at Simon Fraser University in 2010 with a focus on young offenders, child abuse, child safeguarding, and youth deviance. Specifically, her focus was a quantitative examination of the effects of early childhood maltreatment on later adolescent years with regards to increased levels of aggression and vulnerability to victimisation.

Aimee has experience conducting research pertaining to youth crime prevention through social control, cognitive behavioural therapy, and interviewing young offenders while in custody as a means to identify risk factors for future offending. She also has experience conducting researching using both qualitative and quantitative design.

Aimee completed her PhD at the University of Cambridge, Institute of Criminology. Aimee was awarded the Wakefield Scholarship in 2013, 2014 and 2015, which fully funded her PhD.

The topic of Aimee’s PhD research was the examination of protective factors with regards to the development of adolescent aggression. It explored the intergenerational transmission of corporal punishment and the main effects of corporal punishment on developing adolescent aggression.

Additionally, the study examined dispositional and environmental protective factors to ascertain whether they protect a young person from developing aggression after experiencing corporal punishment.

Research interests
  • Developmental Criminology
  • Youth Justice
  • Child Abuse
  • Crime Prevention
  • Youth Aggression
  • Protective Factors
  • Cycle of Violence
  • County Line Gangs
  • School Exclusions
Areas of research supervision
  • Developmental Criminology
  • Youth Justice
  • Child Abuse
  • Family Violence
  • Crime Prevention
  • Youth Aggression
  • Protective Factors
  • Cycle of Violence
  • Child Criminal Exploitation
  • County Line Gangs
Teaching

Current modules taught:

  • Youth, Crime and Aggression
  • Criminal Justice in England and Wales
  • Undergraduate Major Project
  • Postgraduate Major Project
Qualifications
  • PhD Criminology, University of Cambridge (2018)
  • PG Cert, Anglia Ruskin University (2018)
  • DTLLS, Anglia Ruskin University  (2013)
  • MA Criminology, Simon Fraser University, Canada (2010)
  • BA (Hons) Criminology, Saint Mary’s University, Canada (2008)
Memberships, editorial boards
  • Violence Research Centre, University of Cambridge – Affiliated Member
  • The Zurich Project on the Social Development from Childhood to Adulthood- International Research Collaboration Partner
  • European Society of Criminology – Member
  • Western Society of Criminology – Member
  • International Society for Research on Aggression – Fellow
Research grants, consultancy, knowledge exchange
Research scholarships and funding
  • 2022 AHSS Faculty Seed Corn Project Funding Recipient, Anglia Ruskin University
  • 2022 AHSS Faculty Social Innovation Fund Recipient, Anglia Ruskin University
  • 2021 AHSS Faculty Research and Innovation Funding Recipient, Anglia Ruskin University
  • 2021 AHSS Faculty Partnership Research Fund Recipient, Anglia Ruskin University
  • 2015 Wakefield Scholar, Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge
  • 2014 Wakefield Scholar, Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge
  • 2013 Wakefield Scholar, Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge
Selected recent publications

Neaverson, A. and Lake, A. (2023), "Barriers experienced with multi-agency responses to county line gangs: a focus group study", Journal of Children's Services. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCS-03-2022-0012

Neaverson, A., Murray, A. L., Ribeaud, D., et al., 2022. Disrupting the Link between Corporal Punishment Exposure and Adolescent Aggression: The Role of Teacher-Child Relationships. J Youth Adolescence. doi: 10.1007/s10964-022-01666-6

Neaverson, A., Murray, A. L., Ribeaud, D., et al., 2020. A Longitudinal Examination of the Role of Self-Control in the Relation between Corporal Punishment Exposure and Adolescent Aggression. J Youth Adolescence, 49, pp. 1245–1259. doi: 10.1007/s10964-020-01215-z

Recent presentations and conferences

Neaverson, A. E., 2022. ‘The Children Just Want Somewhere to Belong’: School Exclusions, Sense of Belonging and Successful Grooming by County Line Gangs. Presented at the European Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Malaga, Spain.

Neaverson, A. E., 2022. The Meaning of ‘Sense of Belonging’ and its Role in Successful Grooming by County Line Gangs. Presented at the AHSS and Business and Law Inter-Faculty Research Conference, Anglia Ruskin University. Cambridge, UK.

Neaverson, A. E., 2022. Barriers Faced When Responding to County Line Gangs: Practitioner Perspectives. Presented at the Western Society of Criminology Annual Conference, Hawaii.

Neaverson, A. E., 2009. Institutional Youth Victimization: A Critical Approach to Government Commissioned Inquiries to Victimization in Youth Detention Facilities. Presented at the Western Society of Criminology Annual Conference, San Diego, February 2009.