Volume 1, Issue 4

March 2014

Hallam Criminology Society

S H E F F I E L D H A L L A M U N I V E R S I T Y

CONTENT OVERVIEW Student Profiles / News HCS Guest Speaker Reviews A special piece on the strikes and what they mean for students Student thought pieces Postgraduate Study / Opportunities

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Will's report is spread over four pages, so is pretty comprehensive and should answer your queries. In addition to the strikes piece, we've the second of our two-parter from Nicola Furniss on her engagement in sex offending awareness training, as well as a HCS guest speaker review from Becky Steele on this very area. We also have a special piece written by Anete Lusina on the work of City Hearts. Representatives from this organisation came along to speak to students at the start of the year, so it's a fitting tribute to review them and their work in our final edition. I hope you enjoy the Newsletter! Cheers, Marian.

Hello all and welcome to the final HCS Newsletter for 2013/14 and... my last ever HCS Newsletter! As some of you are aware, I'm leaving SHU this summer to take up a new position at the University of Kent. I've had a great 5 years here, working with some fantastic people and inspiring students, but the time has come to move on to pastures new. The HCS will still be around for the new academic year (2014/15) under the masterful leadership of other staff members. More details to follow soon. Enough about me, let's see what this edition is all about. We've a bumper Newsletter for you this month, with a key focus on student experiences

and the ongoing industrial action being taken by staff. Many of you have sought answers to what is going on with the strikes and why your tutors feel the need to take

Inspiring you to achieve more.

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Nicola Furness's Awareness Training

such action. Therefore, HCS placement student, Will Armstrong, decided to put these questions to some of the key people involved in the Union (and me!) to see if he could get some answers.

Becky Steele's HCS Review

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Will Armstrong's Strikes 4-8 Piece

S p e a k e r S e s s i o n s : N o w F i n i s h e d

Anete Lusina on City Hearts

8/9

Unfortunately, we've had to cancel one of our scheduled guest speaker sessions (Joe Sen) and postpone the other (Paul Aspden) until the 2014/15 period. Therefore, there will be no further guest speaker sessions for the remainder of this academic year. Rest assured that the new conveners of the HCS will be looking to continue this series if students wish it to carry on, so please do make your voices heard and your thoughts known in the new academic year if these are sought out by your tutors! The HCS has done OK this year, thanks to a small group of dedicated students. Remember, it's YOUR society and only works if YOU make it work, so this normally means attending requested sessions!

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Last month we met Nicola Furness, a third year student undertaking a criminology degree and availing of placement opportunities working with people at risk of further criminality. In this second instalment , Nicola shares her thoughts following her course on sex offending behaviours. After such negative feelings towards child sex offenders in my previous article, I undertook a course run by Circles of Support and Accountability on sex offenders, to see if I could have a more open mind towards them. I did go on the course with an open but negative mind if I am completely honest. The course leader Amy was very nice and a lady which was helpful, she gave us some facts and figures which I will share with you: only 5% of sex offenders are clinically pedophiles, the other 35% have a preference towards me or women. Other perpetrators are: Women 5-20% Children 25-35% where the alleged abuse involves offenders aged 10-21 - abuse by children, on children. NSPCC (2012) say that : 1 in 4 children have been sexually abused by the time they are 16; 8 out of 10 children know their abuser, so its not some random man in the park; 95% of child abuse is not reported to the police (NSPCC Full -stop campaign 2000); in Mach 2012 there were 40,345 sex offenders on the register. These figures show a 7% increase each year. After hearing these facts and figures my mind was still not changed at all, so when the course leader went on to tell us how some sex offenders on the register got there I did find it very surprising and quite disgusted that men are on the sex offenders

The word 'nonce' actually means Not Of Normal Criminal Experience.

register just for tapping a woman on the bum. However as soon as child sex offenders came up my hairs stood up on the back of my neck and my adrenaline started to flow. She explained how most sex offenders began their own lives been abused and to them it is a normal way of life, as its all that they have known. Here I saw red and challenged the course leader, I said if they had put up with it all their lives why do it to another innocent child?? She calmly explained how to them it is a normal way of life, I said but they cannot like it so why do it to others, she said because its they only way they know how to express themselves and get love in some instances, its all they have known to get love for themselves. But surely they know once they have got older that this is very wrong? Well, maybe they do but they dont know how else to get love or can only get turned on by a child. I just said well I am sorry but no matter what you say I will never have my mind changed by why they find it ok to commit this terrible crime on a perfectly innocent child, and the thought of someone doing it to my own 6 year old son, does not bear to think about. However I completely admire the work that Circles do, Amy explained that it was their objective to try to stop a sex offender from committing more crime, by supporting them in their day to day lives and being

there if they need someone,. This is because research has found that one of the main reasons commit another sexual offence is because they get picked on, shunned by society and have no friends, therefore leading to isolation this encourages them to commit another sexual offence in order to get some company or companionship. Circles are there to try to prevent this sexual crime from happening again. After the course I was asked by Catch 22 to support a disabled man in a wheelchair when he came out of prison. I replied no problem, what is he in for? Guess.... Sexual offences! Ok, what support will he need, and its not child sex offences is it? Well, it is and his preference is little boys! He used his wheelchair disability to his advantage, and preyed on vulnerable people to gain their trust, then look after their kids, so they could nip shopping or something. WHAT, I have a six year old son, and I am a single parent. I am sorry but there is no way I can support this man, I would be more likely to tell him where to get off than help him out. I am pleased that I went on this course because it has opened my eyes in the fact that not all sex offenders are not child only offenders, and the work that Circles do is fantastic, but my opinion towards a sex offender has not changed, but I suppose if we all thought the way that I did, there would be nobody to work for Circles.

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In tandem with Nicola's piece, we have Becky Steele (pictured right) giving her perception of our most recent HCS Guest Speaker Session delivered by Amber Maloney (pictured below). Here, Becky shares some of her thoughts and feelings about the session, its content and the area overall.

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was by Amber Maloney, a member of staff from Sheffield Hallam University, and a dedicated volunteer of Circles of support and accountability.

The most recent presentation that the criminology society members were fortunate enough to experience

he presentation discussed Ambers personal research findings following her completion of a masters degree, with particular interest in sex offenders and what it is like to volunteer as a member of CIRCLES, giving insight into the real world of working with sex offenders. The talk allowed for us to gain an insight and understanding of the application of theory and prevention

that goes beyond the textbook and lecture. I personally was a little too open minded regarding the rehabilitation of sex offenders , and I know that some people in attendance of the talk were a little skeptical on the concept all together, but Amber showed us (through sharing her experiences) that the majority of sex offenders can be helped, but unfortunately not all.

he gave us a truthful account of volunteering for the CIRCLES charity including the contact time with offenders, sharing personal details with offenders and what happens when things do go wrong. This left some of us feeling a little intimidated by the actual real life application of prevention of sex offences, but we soon came to the realisation that if it is effective, it must be. The most inspiring element of the talk for me would be the realisation that they are not necessarily merely helping an offender, but they are saving and preventing future crimes from taking place. Everyone in attendance of the talk thoroughly enjoyed listening and learning about real life application of the knowledge which we are all currently developing. I would like to give special thanks to Amber for her time and the work in which she put in to the presentation and thanks to Marian Duggan for her organisation and management of the criminology society events and activities. Becky Steele, first year Criminology and Psychology student. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------Circles UK works to support the development and effective operation of Circles of Support and Accountability (Circles). Circles UK has been funded by the Ministry of Justice to ensure that Circles Projects across England and Wales are of a high standard. Circles UK seeks greater public protection by working towards a substantial reduction in sexual offending by providing a range of services to local Circles of Support and Accountability Projects. Further, it aims to develop a greater public understanding of community approaches to public protection. If you'd like more info on this organisation, please see: www.circles-uk.org.uk

hey are not necessarily merely helping an offender, but they are saving and preventing future crimes from taking place.

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The majority of students at Sheffield Hallam have felt the effects of the strikes in one way or another, myself included, but what circumstances have led to the strikes and is it of benefit or detriment to students in the long run? I recently interviewed three lecturers of Sheffield Hallam taking part in the UCU strikes to gain some insight into the issues currently causing discord between the UCU (University and College Union) and UCEA (Universities and Colleges Employers Association).

The Causes of the Strikes

n taking them at face value youd be forgiven for thinking this collection of strikes is simply a case of employees wanting a higher wage and employers rejecting their requests, but there are issues here which run far, far deeper.

The primary issue, and the one most commonly associated with the strikes, is the offer of just a 1% (or less) pay increase over the past 5 years. The UCU argue that as inflation has been running at about 3% per year, these below-inflation pay rises have effectively cut staffs pay by around 13%. However, this is more of an over-arching dispute under which there are a number of other issues. One of the more broader issues is work load intensification which is an absolutely huge part of what is driving discontent amongst many academics, Dr Bob Jeffery told me.

Dr Bob Jeffery - Senior Lecturer in Sociology. Involved with UCU for 4 years and holds position of Conveyor for Collegiate Crescent Campus and President of Sheffield Trade Union Council.

You see an increase in the number of people going to university which is a good thing, but you havent seen an equal increase in the amount of administrative support of teaching staff necessary to help with that. In fact, as I was to learn, its quite the opposite. Just before I started at Hallam there was a massive reduction in administrative staff across the university basically involved letting go of hundreds of administrative staff and many of those tasks have simply been shifted onto academics. So we see increasing class sizes, more administration for academics, and arguably in the last few years this has started to reach crisis point.

was curious to learn the extent of a lecturers workload as, from a students point of view, I only see their work through lectures or seminars so its hard to appreciate the work that goes on outside the walls of the classroom. However he worked out that the numbers of hours spent on his job was around 60 hours per week, so effectively that of two people. I do a lot of case work, supporting other members of staff who are having problems, union members across the university, and I speak to people who have families, who have lots of commitments, and the amount of stress that it generates for them working that much - were talking about people who cant sleep

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at night. Amongst all professions, academic lecturers have some of the highest numbers of lost working days per year due to stress, depression, and anxiety. The University actually commissioned an independent report by a company called Elementa a couple of years ago and they recognised that work intensification was an issue at the institution but little or nothing was done to attempt to alleviate the workload on staff.

t was becoming increasingly apparent many of the issues were bound to a reoccurring theme the university is unwilling to increase expenditure, unless its invested into something to accommodate or encourage more students, and in turn, more revenue. But it doesnt stop there; the university actively seeks out ways to cut back on spending which, on the surface, is an expected practice for any business to take (and make no mistake about it, universities are a business). However, many of their strategies may be construed as being somewhat dishonest. For instance, last year the UCU conducted a freedom of information exercise in an attempt to decipher how many people employed by universities are on zero-hour contracts. They found that universities and colleges were twice as likely to use them compared to other workplaces, and just under half of those universities had over 200 staff on zero-hour contracts. They increasingly deliver a lot of teaching; Id be surprised if you hadnt been taught by one thus far for a seminar tutor. These people only get paid 22 weeks a year (as thats the number of teaching weeks) so they either have to do vast numbers of hours in those 22 weeks to give themselves financial provision for the rest of the year, or they have to take up part time jobs in the summer. With these contracts they never know from one semester to the next whether theyll be extended so theres no financial security and it seems quite clear that employers have promoted the use of these zero-hour contracts as a way of undercutting the terms and conditions of full-time members of staff. Many of the members of staff on zero-hour contracts are service staff so it was becoming increasingly apparent that the issues that have led to strike action werent only effecting academic staff but non -academic staff too, if not more so. As Dr Marian Duggan revealed: Youve also got the tenuous position of service staff; so thats catering staff, cleaning staff, technical support, theyre being outsourced to companies that are somewhat owned by the university so they have that extra level of managerial bureaucracy so staff that arent academic, or research, or admin dont have the same rights, responsibilities, and expectations so its impacting most on them.

Dr Marian Duggan - Senior Lecturer in Criminology Involved with UCU for 5 years.

n addition to economic aspects there are also issues regarding equality and discrimination such as the very few female or minority ethnic professors we have in this country. As in many industries the gender pay-gap is also a major issue. Although figures vary, on average male lecturers get paid approximately 14% more than their female counterparts. Marian Duggan also explained how theres an issue surrounding gender discrepancy and senior posts.

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Senior managerial posts tend to be male; they tend to be male because of the structure thats employed. If women take time off to have children for example, then their careers stagnate in the way that men dont have to take the same amount of time off but can still avail of having a family. Many people who dont support the strikes point to the fact that the whole country is facing austerity, with the public sector being cut, so everyone needs to bear some of the pain. However, now students are paying 9,000 tuition fees the public sector doesnt really pay for universities anymore, the students pay for it. In actual fact last year there was a surplus of around 1bn across the university sector, so the money is certainly there. So What Is The Money Being Spent On? The main investments universities appear to be making are to new buildings (currently in evidence at Collegiate) and new technologies. While obviously this is a good thing, with so much money in the pot I found it hard to believe that infrastructure and technology were the only things the surplus money was being spent on, and I was right. It turns out university heads have awarded themselves with raises which are not only out of touch with the Consumer Prices Index, but all semblance of reality. Our own Vice Chancellor Philip Jones gave himself just under a 10% pay rise last year, which equated to an extra 20,000 thats about twice as much as some of the administrative staff earn in a year. This instance wasnt isolated to Hallam either. The Vice Chancellor up the road at the University of Sheffield gave himself a 40,000 pay rise. The Vice Chancellor at Durham earlier this year spent 1m on artworks including a Picasso for his own personal office. This was in the same year that Durham advertised an unpaid lectureship a sort of intern idea that you should be grateful to work for nothing because you gain a bit of experience. All in all, the UCUs analysis found that all but one of the university Vice Chancellors, where figures were available, earned more than the Prime Ministers salary of 142,500 in 2013 - which in itself is astounding. What are the Effects on Students? The most obvious and immediate impact the strikes have on the students of Sheffield Hallam is the loss of teaching time. However, through each of the interviews I inferred a sense of uneasiness on this topic perhaps even a sense of guilt. But given the nature of higher education, the only leverage staff have over an employer is refusing to teach or mark work, therefore unavoidably impacting on students. The UCU recognised this and in an attempt to combat the disruption to students adopted two-hour stoppages, as opposed to a full day. I asked Jaime Waters why this stance had been taken: The rationale behind them was to cause less disruption to students. So instead of students losing out on a full day, they would only lose out on two hours. So were still participating in industrial action, but were also trying to minimise the effect on students.

Dr Jaime Waters Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Course Leader Criminology & Sociology Involved with UCU for 7 years and UCU rep for Law & Criminology.

However, 30 universities across the country, including Sheffield Hallam, have taken a punitive approach

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and will be docking a full days pay for two hour stoppages. This antagonistic response has provoked the UCU into considering more austere methods such as a marking ban or picketing during open days. So there are the more immediate impact on students, but what are the more long term effects of the strikes and what do members of the UCU hope for over a broader scope of time? These are the thoughts of my interviewees: Jaime Waters - We want students to understand what were doing is not just for us, its for higher education but also for the students themselves in the long run. Students who come to this university want a good education and if you are paying the people who are providing that education less and less, theyre going to leave, and the people who love their job and do it well and are knowledgeable and educated are going to go elsewhere; so students are paying more but getting less. Bob Jeffrey - Vice Chancellors who make up that association (UCEA) were outspoken proponents of increased tuition fees. So these are the same people that want the students to pay more, who want the students to be more indebted, and these are the same people who want to commercialise education and reduce it to a kind of narrow focus on employability, and take out the traditional humanistic element of education which is about development, about opening minds - its about enlightenment in the broadest sense. Marian Duggan - Having an equal representation of staff that somewhat mirrors student numbers means that youre teaching fewer hours which means youve got more time to prepare, more time to see students, you cant physically see students if youre spending 16 hours in class rooms during the week, each one of those hours takes time to prepare so freeing up time where you can see students on a one-to-one basis is important. In the 10 years since I finished my degree Ive really noticed a difference in class size, interaction, the ability of lecturers to impart a kind of curiosity and then foster that throughout the degree, instead of just firing you information and expecting an assessment. At the current time there appears to be a deadlock, and while UCEA refuse to even discuss any of the issues mentioned throughout this article no one can say when it might end, the only certainty is that higher education in the UK will remain in a relative state of turmoil until some form of resolution is established. (Thank you to Jaime Waters, Bob Jeffery and Marian Duggan for your contribution to this article)

ll but one of the university Vice Chancellors, where figures were available, earned more than the Prime Ministers salary of 142,500 in 2013 - which in itself is astounding.

n actual fact last year there was a surplus of around 1bn across the university sector, so the money is certainly there.

ur own Vice Chancellor Philip Jones gave himself just under a 10% pay rise last year, which equated to an extra 20,000 thats about twice as much as some of the administrative staff earn in a year.

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' L o v i n g p e o p l e t o l i f e ' : t r a f f i c k i n g v i c t i m s w i t h

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In this piece, final year student Anete Lusina discusses a hidden form of victimisation: human trafficking.

t is estimated that over 12 million people are affected by forced labour, and approximately one fifth - as a direct result of human trafficking. Modern day slavery crosses international borders and does not solely affect just one gender, ethnicity or a specific age group, yet it is a largely unfamiliar topic to those who are not engaged with the issue on daily basis. Consequently, equally unfamiliar can be the work performed by anti-trafficking charities who deal with victims. One such charity is City Hearts based in Sheffield, which is a crucial component in tackling human trafficking alongside government agencies, according to the Governments Strategy paper. This will be the focus of this article.

In the UK a framework named the National Referral Mechanism was created to guide governmental and non governmental groups in supporting, through cooperation, victims of trafficking. It has two stages: Reasonable Grounds and Conclusive Decision. During the 5 days period of the initial stage Reasonable Grounds, an assigned case manager gathers information to determine whether, based on the information available, the individual is suspected to be a victim of trafficking. If the case manager believes the individual to be a victim the individual is entered into the second stage; Conclusive Decision. This stage lasts a minimum of 45 days and it is aimed to provide a recovery and reflection period for victims whilst their victim status is investigated further. The immigration status of the individual is of no concern at this stage. During this period the suspected victim is eligible to go into care provided by one of the anti -trafficking charities, such as the Poppy Project, the Salvation Army, the City Hearts, and others. However, if the victim receives a negative decision in either stage, they are required to leave within 48 hours and the victims immigration status would then be of consideration.

ith a tag line loving people to life, the City Hearts charity provides an extensive network of support for the victims during this time. Their support includes safe accommodation, medical care as well as counselling, recreational activities, educational classes and advice - all aimed at helping the victim progress towards a new future, whether they decide to integrate in the local community or return to their native country. Their staff and volunteers have a wide experience and they work with other agencies in order to meet the requirements of and tailor the recovery program for each victim, whether that need is medical, legal or anything else. This means that such charities will need the support of outside professionals. For example, as victims are trafficked both within borders and internationally, it is likely that a victim arriving at one of the safe houses may not speak the local language creating a necessity for an interpreter. This requires these charities to have interpreters available on -call whenever their services are needed. The on-call status is true for all the staff of City Hearts, regardless of the time of day. All of this is intended to help victims recover and where this is successful the victim may feel safe enough to engage with the investigation by revealing crucial information about the wrongdoer or the crimes committed against them.

With only 1-2% of victims rescued, according to the City Hearts, it is clear that successfully treating a victim is not easy not least because both physical and psychological traumas are extensive in victims of trafficking, as shown in a study by Zimmerman et al. (2006). Needless to say this complicates the work performed by charities and may well prolong the investigatory process and the suffering of the victim. In a sample of 207 trafficked

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ity Hearts exists to provide hope to the most vulnerable, with the goal of loving them back to life. In 2011, alongside our Restore Program, we became part of the national support provision helping victims of human trafficking. Currently we offer three locations across the UK for accommodation and support to men, women and families caught up in the travesty of trafficking.

women coming from 14 different countries, they found that 95% of the women interviewed had been 'physically assaulted or coerced into a sexual act while trafficked'. Similarly, psychological problems are evident: over 70% reported that they suffered from various 'mental health symptoms associated with depression, anxiety and hostility within the first 14 days' of entering a recovery programme, such as the one provided by the City Hearts.

uffering inflected on victims of trafficking may also result in the psychological phenomenon: Stockholm syndrome. In such instances, the victims express positive feelings toward their captors and sympathy for their causes or goals, and negative feelings toward the police or authorities as an end result of their survival mechanism (Adorjan et al. 2012). The validity of the condition, within psychiatry, is contested and it is questioned whether such a condition actually exists. Either way, specialists coming in contact with victims require the ability to recognize such symptoms as part of a condition in order to provide best possible recovery program.

Not all victims trafficked are coerced into sex slavery, many are exploited through forced labour or other illegal activities. Where a victim is made to commit crimes, problems can arise when specialists, such as the police and judges fail to thoroughly investigate the situation and proclaim victims to be criminals. In some cases, states Dorcas Erskine, the co-ordinator of Eaves women's project, the authorities have even discredited the victims side of a story, and there have been cases when solicitors [have] advise[d] their clients to plead guilty, even when they (say) that they have been trafficked. This not only further stigmatizes the victim but is also harmful to the investigation and to tracking down of those responsible for trafficking.

t is evident that human trafficking is a global issue that requires co -operation of organisations and private individuals across all levels to firstly, recognize victims and secondly, to provide a successful recovery program. Charities who welcome victims to recover at their safe houses should be recognized for their hard and extensive work in rehabilitating those who have lost their will to live and trust of others. Similarly, volunteers should be praised for helping to rebuild victims life whether it is by accompanying them on a visit to the doctors, teaching

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In response to several students asking about postgraduate study, this will be a regular feature of the magazine. Whether you are in your first or final year, its never too late to start looking at pursuing your studies and applying for grants where availab le. Information on currently advertised courses will be available at the end of this section. What is a Master's? Most MA (Master of Arts) or MSc (Master of Science) courses include a taught element and a research project. Most master's degrees involve a greater time commitment than many undergraduate degrees and full time really does mean just that. A part time course, whilst taking longer to complete, will help you spread the cost and will also free you up to earn some money in the time when youre not studying. Applications are usually made directly to the University. What is a PhD? A PhD is often the next step after a Master's degree and is traditionally seen as the highest qualification a student can achieve. Unlike most Masters courses, a PhD contains little or no taught element and is based on the student carrying out original research. Whilst most university lecturers and professors are still required to have a PhD, the degree has much wider applications in industry, commerce and the public sector. Applications are usually made directly to the University. What is a Professional Doctorate? A Professional Doctorate is considered equivalent to a PhD (those successfully completing a Professional Doctorate are entitled to call themselves Dr). Whereas a PhD is a training in academic research, a Professional Doctorate is a way for experienced professionals, (most studying part-time) to carry out research relating to their real world professional practice. Applications are usually made directly to the University. Can I get funding? Many charities, organisations, learned societies etc. offer funding or grants (usually between 100-1000) to postgraduate students. Professional and career development loans are offered by a number of UK banks. Youll need to be under 40 to qualif y, and the maximum loan amount is 10,000. Good places to start include: http://www.findamasters.com/funding/postgraduatemasters-scholarships/ What is a 1+3? The UK Research Councils (www.RCUK.ac.uk) fund some research-focused Masters programmes. In particular the 1+3 or New Route PhD programmes. These programmes begin with a taught Masters degree in the first year and are followed by a 3 -year PhD programme. Funding usually covers course fees and a tax-free maintenance grant. Masters degrees which have the opportunity for research council funding will be advertised as such. FindAPhD.com lists a number of these programmes, usually referred to as 4Year, 1+3 or New Route PhD Programmes. You should not apply to the Research Councils directly. Depending on the award scheme involved, either the university will have been awarded the studentship by the Research Council and will use their own selection process to choose the student or you will put in a joint application along with the help of your university. What Criminological Postgraduate study does SHU LCCJ offer? MSc Forensic Criminology: Forensic study is increasingly popular in universities and a forensic approach is often used in the workplace. This course focuses on debating and examining how criminology and law work in practice and how criminology influences forensic study. It is suitable if you work in criminal justice or are considering a career with agencies such as the police, the probation service and the courts. You explore the historical developments of the agencies involved in criminal justice and how they interact in todays society how agencies work together to detect crime, arrest suspects, and deal with offenders when imprisoned and in the community the history behind criminological theories and theories which apply today how theory influences research and policy, which informs practice in the criminal justice system, and how practice may info rm research Our lecturers draw on their professional experience in criminal justice practice to develop your understanding of how academic theories relate to crime. Throughout the course you gain critical analysis skills, which you use to complete a dissertation in an area of your interest.