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HomeAcademic staffDr Tirion Havard
Dr Tirion Havard

Dr Tirion Havard

havardt@lsbu.ac.uk

Social Work, Community and Public Health

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1444-9880

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As Professor of Gender Abuse and Policy and a Social Worker, I strive to give women and girls lives without abuse. I use my practice experience as a probation officer working with violent men, to inform my research with women survivors of abuse, predominantly those in abusive intimate relationships (domestic abuse and coercive control) and criminal exploitation. I have had the pleasure of working alongside The Mayor’s Office London (MOPAC), National Police Chief Commissioners (NPCC) and English Parliament advising them on coercive control and tech abuse and how it relates to domestic abuse and criminal exploitation of women and girls.

My three main research areas are domestic abuse/coercive control, technological abuse and criminally exploited girls/young women (gangs). I am unique because I am the only academic to sit in the intersection of these forms of abuse. My practice background was as a Probation Officer working with violent offenders including perpetrators of domestic abuse and those involved in organised criminal networks. I use this knowledge to inform my research with women and girl survivors.

I am Principal Investigator for the Understanding Communities Programme funded by the British Academy and the Nuffield Foundation. This project uses an arts based approach to investigate whether taking a Transformative Justice approach is effective in (re)integrating women with convictions into their communities

I recently completed a feasibility study for the Home Office that investigated whether Artificial Intelligence could assist police officers in domestic abuse investigations. It also sought the views of survivors and police officers to understand their attitudes towards using this technology in this way.

I am PI evaluating the introduction of Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVAs) into Surrey hospitals, a Kent serious violence intervention programme and an independent reviewer for Buckinghamshire Safeguarding board.

I am co-author of the high-profile report “From Postcodes to Profit” where I identified the centrality of young women and girls in county lines.

I am keen to weave my knowledge of coercive control and technological abuse, to shed light on the experiences of women and girls in abusive relationships with a view to bring about changes in policy and practice to help keep survivors safe. To this end, I have contributed to the Victim’s commissioner research into experiences of domestic abuse during childhood and their link to offending, advised English parliament, NPCC and MOPAC. I have been interviewed for Metro and Social Work Today about my research expertise. I have also been involved in a round table event at the

I have been interviewed for television and radio about my knowledge of coercive control, technological abuse and the criminal exploitation of young women and girls. This includes the BBC documentary ‘Hidden Girls’, The Victoria Derbyshire show and the BBC Radio Cymru/Wales current affairs programme “Hanner Call”. I have also been an advisor to Radio 4’s ‘File on Four” and I am now working with BBC News Wales as resident expert to an upcoming documentary about technology and county lines in Wales.

Courses taught

BA (Hons) Social Work 2022/23

MA Social Work

Midwifery - Pg Diploma

Health and Social Care - Foundation Year

Postgraduate Research Supervision
Current
Ms Rebecca ShepherdVicarious trauma in Cafcass family court social workers – prevalence, recognition and training needsDProf
Mrs Nazia Yasmeen SkeltonDoctoral Research ProjectPhD

Awarded in the last 5 years
Epigeum Supervisory Training 2022_11_23PhD
Doctorate in Social Work

University of Sussex

2019
2014
MA Social Policy and Social Work

London School of Economics

1995
1997
BSc (hons) Physiology

University College London

1987
1990
Diploma Social Work

London School of Economics

1995
1997
Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education

London South Bank University

2009
2010
Practice Development Assessor
National Probation Service London

Coaching, teaching and assessing Trainee Probation Officers.

2003
2009
Other public sector
Probation Officer
National Ptobation Service London

Assessing and managing the risk posed by offenders, including perpetrators of domestic abuse and gang members. This involved balancing offender need with risk and preparing Pre-Sentence Reports for both Magistrates and Crown Courts to assist with sentencing. When in the community I was responsible for managing the risk posed, ensuring the perpetrator was engaging in the intervention and breaching/returning the offender to court when occasion demanded. I was also a Court Duty officer, where I was required to work within and manage the hustle and bustle of court life and ensure that there was clear communication between court and probation staff. This involved liaising with professionals for different backgrounds to ensure the information was accurate, relevant and up to date.

1987
2009
Other public sector
FunderYear wonProjectRole
Nuffield Foundation 2023Autumn Series-Transformative Justice, women with convictions and community cohesionPrincipal Investigator
Buckinghamshire Council2022HSC_Author Review_BuckinghamshirePrincipal Investigator
British Academy 2022Can a transformative justice approach be effective and cost-effective in facilitating community cohesion and support for women with convictions?Principal Investigator
Home Office2021HSC_DA Perpetrators Research Q8_Home OfficePrincipal Investigator
University of Brighton2021HSC_Project Vigilant evaluation support_University of BrightonPrincipal Investigator
Youth Endowment Fund2021HSC_Evaluation Panel EOI_Youth Endowment FundPrincipal Investigator
Surrey County Council2021HSC_IDVA Evaluation_Surrey County CouncilPrincipal Investigator
Kent County Council2020HSC_NEW KCC_Serious Violence Project EvaluationPrincipal Investigator
English Parliament
2023
2023
Higher Education Academy
2015
Coercive Control Legal Network
2019
Standing together for Youth Justice
2020
Social Work England
1987
European Social Work Research Special Interest Group (Adolescents)
2021
Academy for Social Justice
2022
2020
2022
Thames Valley Police
2021
2022
2021
2022
Surrey County Council
2021
2023
Buckinghamshire Safeguarding Board
2022
2023
2022
2024
Bangor University
External examiner

MA Social Work

All aspects of social work as determined by Welsh Professional Body. Course taught through the Welsh language

February 2018
September 2021
Prizes, awards, and accolades

Research in Action Award (Sep 2018)

LSBU staff awards


Evidence to public body

Feb 2020

Submission of ‘expert evidence’ to the Victim’s Commissioner in relation to their research into the experiences of children and young people as victims of domestic abuse and their potential subsequent involvement in criminality such as county lines and serious youth violence.


Jan 2020

Panel member at Round table event discussion on Community Safety. Hosted at the House of Lords.


Mar 2021

Academic fellowship to Parliament. Advisor on coercive control, tech abuse domestic abuse and young women and girls in gangs.


Dec 2020

Invited member of the expert panel for London’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy. Mayor’s Office London.


Jun 2022

Invitation to Young Women's Justice Project parliamentary reception.


Oct 2022

Participation in a round table event to The National Police Chief Council (NPCC) to inform their national VAWG policy


Reach and Impact

Second Briefing: Continuing the conversation: Responding to domestic violence and technology mediated abuse in higher education communities during the Covid-19 pandemic. (Sep 2020)


Covid-19, domestic abuse and what universities can do for students. (Jul 2020)


Advisor to BBC Radio 4, File on 4: “Lost on the line: The county lines gangs recruiting girls”. (Oct 2019)


BBC Radio Cymru/Wales : Panelist on 'Yr Hanner Call' discussing the impact of technology on modern life. (Oct 1920)


S4C appearance on Welsh Magazine programme 'Heno' (Oct 2018)


Appearance on the Victoria Derbyshire show: University education. (Jul 2018)


Appearance on the Victoria Derbyshire show: Girls in gangs (Jun 2018)


More violent, ruthless and organised than ever: London now has 250 gangs who use revenge porn to entrap teenage drug mule girls to shift Class As across 'county lines' and are 'forging links with terror networks' (Jun 2018)


Consultant and appearance on ‘Hidden Girls’ a news documentary about young women and girls in gangs BBC iPlayer, 3rd October 2021. (Oct 2021)


Metro Story: How Tech became the latest tool for abusers. (Feb 2022)


Social Work Today: Can Artificial intelligence be used to identify perpetrators of domestic abuse. (Mar 2022)


Advisor to BBC investigator/presenter Charanpreet Khaira journalist reporter BBC Wales news re investigative programme about technology and county lines (Jan 2023)


Sep 2020

Chair of webinar ‘Stay home save lives’: dangerous times for domestic abuse survivors. London South Bank University


Jul 2022

In Conversation #mhTV episode 99 - The Panopticon Effect: Understanding the impact of technology on coercive control. Middlesex University/NHS/My Care Academy.


Jul 2022

Presentation to Making Research Count ‘Street Gangs and Coercive Control: The Gendered Exploitation of Young Women and Girls in County Lines’ University of Bedford and the Kings College London.


Nov 2021

Chair Sexual Harassment Digital Conference for Knowledge exchange group. Broadcast live on Westminster Insights.


Reluctant Gangsters Revisited
Havard, T. and Whittaker, A. (2023). Reluctant Gangsters Revisited . in: The Palgrave Handbook of Youth Gangs in the UK. Palgrave Macmillan.

Using Artificial Intelligence to Identify Perpetrators of Technology Facilitated Coercive Control.
Havard, T., Nnamokon N, Magill, C., Demeocq C, Procter J, Harvey, D. and Bettinson V (2022). Using Artificial Intelligence to Identify Perpetrators of Technology Facilitated Coercive Control. London Home Office.

The new Panopticon: Women’s experiences of mobile phone- mediated coercive control within abusive relationships
Havard, T. and Lefevre, M. (2022). The new Panopticon: Women’s experiences of mobile phone- mediated coercive control within abusive relationships. in: Technology and Domestic and Family Violence: Victimisation, Perpetration and Responses Routledge. pp. 90-102

Serious youth violence: County lines drug dealing and the Government response
Havard, T. (2022). Serious youth violence: County lines drug dealing and the Government response. House of Commons Library.

Girls in gangs: how they are recruited, exploited and trapped
Havard, T. (2022). Girls in gangs: how they are recruited, exploited and trapped. The Conversation.

Street Gangs and Coercive Control: The Gendered Exploitation of Young Women and Girls in County Lines
Havard, T., Densley, J., Whittaker, A. and Wills, J. (2021). Street Gangs and Coercive Control: The Gendered Exploitation of Young Women and Girls in County Lines . Criminology & Criminal Justice. https://doi.org/10.1177/17488958211051513

Beyond the Power and Control Wheel: how abusive men manipulate mobile phone technologies to facilitate coercive control
Havard, T. and Lefevre, M. (2020). Beyond the Power and Control Wheel: how abusive men manipulate mobile phone technologies to facilitate coercive control. Journal of Gender-Based Violence. 4 (2), pp. 223-239. https://doi.org/10.1332/239868020x15850131608789

Covid-19, domestic abuse and what universities can do for students
Magill, Christine, Gajparia, J., Havard, T., Shepherd, R. and Kibirige, N. (2020). Covid-19, domestic abuse and what universities can do for students. Wonkhe.

Reluctant Gangsters Revisited: The Evolution of Gangs from Postcodes to Profits
Whittaker, A, Densley, J, Cheston, L, Tyrell, T, Higgins, M, Felix-Baptiste, C and Havard, T (2019). Reluctant Gangsters Revisited: The Evolution of Gangs from Postcodes to Profits. European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10610-019-09408-4

Beyond Geographical boundaries: the covert role of mobile phone in maintaining power and coercive control in the domestic abuse of women
Havard, T. (2019). Beyond Geographical boundaries: the covert role of mobile phone in maintaining power and coercive control in the domestic abuse of women. European Conference of Domestic Violence. University of Porto, Porto, Portugal 05 - 09 Sep 2017

Mobile phones, Foucault and fear: their role in coercive control.
Havard, TE (2017). Mobile phones, Foucault and fear: their role in coercive control. European Conference of Domestic Violence. University of Porto, Porto, Portugal 05 - 09 Sep 2017 FPCEUP.

Defensive practice as ‘fear-based’ practice: Social work’s open secret?
Whittaker, AJ and Havard, T (2015). Defensive practice as ‘fear-based’ practice: Social work’s open secret? British Journal of Social Work. 46 (5), pp. 1158-1174. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/BCV048

Even before deepfakes tech was a tool of abuse and control
Havard, T. (2023). Even before deepfakes tech was a tool of abuse and control . The Conversation.

HIDVA Final Report
Havard, T., Magill, C. and Flood, C. (2023). HIDVA Final Report. London South Bank University.

Evaluation of the Kent Serious Youth Violence Project
Havard, T., Magill. C., Flood, C., Harvey, D., Shepherd, B., Miller, E. and Whittaker, A. (2023). Evaluation of the Kent Serious Youth Violence Project.

Parliamentary insight: domestic abuse and C-19, a year into the pandemic
Havard, T. (2023). Parliamentary insight: domestic abuse and C-19, a year into the pandemic. UK Parliament.