Dr Sarah Colley

Sarah completed her PhD in 2023. Her thesis examined the investigation and representation of multi-perpetrator child sexual exploitation (CSE) in England and Wales from a policing perspective.

This piece of research adopted a mixed methods approach and explored the challenges of investigating these crimes, wider criminal justice system issues, and links to organised crime and perpetrator characteristics. The quantitative strand consisted of Freedom of Information (FOI) data on the prevalence of CSE, and specifically multi-perpetrator CSE crimes.

She previously worked as a Research Fellow at the Wilberforce Institute at the University of Hull, was a Project Officer on the Anti-Slavery Usable Past project and a Research Assistant on the HeadStart Hull local evaluation.

Her published work on CSE, to date, includes a co-authored chapter titled 'Policing Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation', as part of an edited collection; a co-authored chapter with Dr Emma Stephens titled 'The impact of the past on child sexual exploitation' (Colley and Stephens, 2020) as part of the AHRC-funded Anti-Slavery Usable Past project; and an article in the Journal of Sexual Aggression entitled 'Perpetrators of organised child sexual exploitation (CSE) in the UK: a review of current research' (2019).

Sarah has also worked with children and young people for many years, including victim-survivors of CSE. She continues to volunteer for the NSPCC on their ‘Speak out, Stay safe’ schools programme.

• Child sexual exploitation
• Child sexual abuse
• Policing
• Police officer wellbeing
• Modern slavery
• Gender based violence
• Organised crime
• Researcher wellbeing

Child sexual abuse and exploitation

• 2023: PhD in Social Justice, University of Hull
• 2021: Certificate in Good Clinical Practice (GCP)
• 2015: PG Cert Research Training
• 2003: Diploma for Connexions Personal Advisers, Nottingham Trent University
• 1999: BA (Hons). English Literature and Human Geography, Open University
• 1998: Diploma in Human Geography, Open University

Nelson, P. and Colley, S. (2026) 'Unregistered children's homes and child exploitation'. Report.

Harding, R. and Colley, S. (2026) 'Health inequalities in policing: Exploring occupational morbidities and pathways to care through primary care services. Part 1: Findings from a systematic literature review'. Report.

Harding, R. and Colley, S. (2026) 'Health inequalities in policing: Exploring occupational morbidities and pathways to care through primary care services. Part 2: Voices from the frontline – Barriers and opportunities to accessing primary health care'. Report.

Colley, S., Kamitz, L., and Lundrigan, S. (2025) ''Think Before You Share' campaign evaluation report'. Report for the Internet Watch Foundation.

Colley, S., Gladman, A. and Heal, A. (2024) 'Policing Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation'. In: Aplin, R. (Ed.) (2024) Policing Public Protection: A Companion Guide. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, pp. 105-137.

Redmond, T., Colley, S. and Lundrigan, S. (2023) '"It's normal these days", Self-generated child sexual abuse fieldwork findings report'. Report for the Internet Watch Foundation.

White, J., Hardy, S. and Colley, S. (2021) Independent Local Evaluation of HeadStart Hull - Final Report'. Report for Hull City Council.

Colley, S. and Stephens, E. (2020) 'The Impact of the Past on Child Sexual Exploitation'. In: Bales, K. and Trodd, Z. (Eds.) (2020) Anti-Slavery Usable Past Handbook, Nottingham: The Rights Lab.

Colley, S. (2019) 'Perpetrators of Organised CSE in the UK: a review of current research', Journal of Sexual Aggression special issue on multiple perpetrator sexual offending, 25(3), pp. 258-274.