The Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse (CRiVA) was launched in 2013 and has since been designing and enhancing research-led education, policy and practice in the field of violence and abuse.
Simon Hackett is Co-Founder of CRiVA with Nicole Westmarland. Simon and Nicole were both leading on interpersonal violence in the UK and internationally before deciding to launch a new research centre as an important marker of Durham’s profile in the space.
Read on to find out more Simon, his role and passion and why CRiVA is so important.
Why did you co-launch CRiVA?
Our vision was to develop a world leading Centre which would bring together people from the University interested in work on violence and abuse, but also be a way of building a community of practice with like-minded colleagues working on issues of interpersonal violence in the field. We were also different from other, similar groups at the time. Some other research centres focused primarily on domestic violence, child abuse or on issues for adults. We wanted to bring together knowledge from across these traditional divisions, learn from a wide variety of perspectives and develop new inter-disciplinary insights.
Tell us about the work of the Centre
The span of our work was wide examines multiple types of interpersonal violence including violence in the home and in institutions, with a focus not only on ‘victims’ but also on those causing the harm, from children through to adults. We envisaged a Centre that would embrace this diverse work where we could bring together people and generate knowledge that transcended traditional disciplinary and topic boundaries. As CRiVA has grown we have been true to this original vision and provide a home for researchers and postgraduate students working across a wide variety of ground-breaking work with real international impact.
How does your work impact communities / the world around you?
CRiVA is a supportive and inspiring community and that’s why I am passionate about our achievements. I am proud to highlight the Centre in my own research across the world into sexual violence in childhood. My work is focused particularly on harmful sexual behaviour displayed by children and young people and how we should understand and respond to such behaviours. I have learnt so much from colleagues whose work is making a real difference in preventing and responding to violence in respect of children, adults, families, institutions and communities.
Find out more
- Simon Hackett is Co-Founder of CRiVA and a Professor (Director of Research) in the Department of Sociology. Visit his profile
- The Centre for Research into Violence and Abuse (CRiVA) is dedicated to improving knowledge about interpersonal violence and abuse, and professional and societal responses to it. Find out more
- CRiVA’s research has received international acclaim and led to ‘world leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’ impact ratings. Discover more
- Our Department of Sociology is ranked 1st in the UK for Criminology and 3rd in the UK for Sociology in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024. Feeling inspired? Visit our Sociology webpages to learn more about studying with us.
- If you’d like to share your story or insights into your work, visit our Submit a blog or vlog page to learn more.