Professor Michele Burman
- Professor of Criminology (Sociological & Cultural Studies)
email:
Michele.Burman@glasgow.ac.uk
Room 202a, Ivy Lodge, Gibson Street, Glasgow, G12 8LT
Biography
With a background in sociology, psychology and law, Michele Burman is a feminist criminologist with long-standing research interests in women and crime, and responses to gender-based violence.
Before joining the University of Glasgow, Michele previously worked at the Universities of Edinburgh and Aberdeen and also worked in the Scottish Government. From 2015 – 2019, Michele was the Head of the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Glasgow.
An experienced research leader, Michele co-founded and led the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR), a unique, cross-institutional partnership between 4 Scottish universities, for 10 years from 2006 – 2016. For five years, from 2015-2020, she was Co-Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Criminology and Criminal Justice. Since 2010, Michele has co-convened the European Society of Criminology Working Group on Gender, Crime and Justice.
Michele has published widely on criminal justice responses to rape and domestic abuse, on the punishment of women and on young women and violence. She has held around 30 research grants from a range of prestigious funders and has provided research-based advice to criminal justice policy-makers and practitioners over many years.
Michele served as a subpanel member for Social Work/Social Policy on the UK’s Research Excellence Framework in REF 2014 and REF 2021.
In recognition of her work, Michele was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE), and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS). She received a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday List in 2019, for services to Criminology.
Research interests
Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, Co-director (SCCJR is a collaborative research partnership between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling and Glasgow Caledonian Universities)
Research interests
Michele’s research interests are focused primarily on gender, crime and justice. She has particular interests in:
- Feminist criminology
- responses to gender-based violence, including rape, sexual assault, domestic abuse, and stalking
- the investigation and prosecution of rape and domestic abuse
- sentencing of sexual offences
- the punishment of women and girls
- young women’s use of violence
- vicarious traumatisation amongst those who work with the traumatised
Research contribution
- Board of Governance, Scottish Institute of Policing Research (SIPR)
- Director, Women's Support Project, Glasgow
Michele has conducted theoretical and policy-related research on criminology and criminal justice topics for a range of funding bodies including:
- European Commission
- Scottish Government
- Scottish Prison Service
- Economic & Social Research Council
- British Academy
- NHS Health Scotland
- Risk Management Authority
- Nuffield Foundation
- Equalities and Human Rights Commission
- Wellcome Trust
Recent and current research projects
- Scottish Prisons Assessment and Review of Outcomes for Women. An evaluation of the early impact and emerging outcomes of SPS’s new model of CCUs’ and the application of the Strategy for Women in Custody 2021-2025 in the context of the CCUs. With Professor Mhairi Mackenzie, Dr Annie Crowley and Lisa Mary Armstrong (all Glasgow); Professor Margaret Malloch (Stirling) and Professor Loraine Gelsthorpe (Cambridge). May 2023 to October 2024.
- Exploring Survivors Views on Sentencing for Rape and Sexual Assault. A small-scale qualitative project commissioned by Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) to facilitate understanding of rape and sexual assault survivors’ views on sentencing in order to inform Sentencing Guidelines. With Dr Oona Brooks-Hay. April to December 2023
- IMPRODOVA (Improving Front Line Responses to Domestic Violence). Funded through the European Union Horizon 2020 programme, this is an eight European country study researching police, health and social services responses to domestic violence. With Dr Oona Brooks-Hay and Dr Ruth Friskney.
- Justice Journeys: Survivor Stories Based on Scottish Government funded research exploring the ‘end-to-end’ experiences of rape and sexual assault survivors as they navigated the Scottish criminal justice system. Working with a photographer and using forms of creative practice, we worked with survivors to document their stories about their journeys into, through and beyond the criminal justice process. With Dr Oona Brooks-Hay and Dr Lisa Bradley.
- Scotland in Lockdown This project, Health and Social Impacts of Covid-19 in Scotland’ is funded by the Chief Scientist Office (CSO). It aims to understand how the response to Covid-19, including lockdown measures, is affecting those who may already have been isolated or excluded. This includes those experiencing domestic abuse sexual violence.
- Child contact in the Context of Domestic Abuse. Exploring the articulation between civil and criminal justice processes in cases of child contact in the context of domestic abuse. Funded by the Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services Division. With Professor Jane Mair (School of Law, University of Glasgow) and Professor Richard Whitecross (Napier University).
Grants
Dates |
Role |
Funder |
Title |
Amount |
May 23 - |
PI |
Scottish Government |
Scottish Prisons Assessment and Review of Outcomes for Women ( SPAROW) |
£97k |
Apr 23 - |
Co-I |
Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS) |
Exploring Survivors Views on Sentencing for Rape and Sexual Assault |
£45k |
Aug 18 - Apr 21 |
Co-I |
European Commission H2020 |
IMPRODOVA- frontline responses to domestic abuse |
EURO 2.9m GU share 255,000 |
Sep 18 |
Co-I |
Scottish Government |
Child Contact and Domestic Abuse |
£43,256 |
Aug 18
|
Co-I |
Scottish Government |
Justice Journeys |
£37,752 |
Jan 18- Nov 18 |
PI |
ESRC IAA |
Justice Journeys: Survivors Stories |
£20,000 |
Feb 17 – April 18 |
PI |
Wellcome Trust, Social Sciences & Humanities |
Vicarious Traumatisation amongst those who work with justice-involved women and girls |
£48,383 |
Jan 16 – Oct 17 |
PI |
Rape Crisis Scotland/Police Scotland |
Evaluation of National Advocacy Project |
£48,300 |
2014-2015 |
PI |
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services |
SCCJR: Collaboration Agreement |
£120,000 |
Oct 14 – May 15 |
PI |
Scottish Government |
Whole System Approach for Youth Justice |
£50,000 |
Feb 13 – Mar 14 |
Co-I |
Rape Crisis Scotland/Police Scotland |
Evaluation of the Rape Advocacy Pilot Service (S2R) |
£19,000 |
2013-2014 |
PI |
Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services |
SCCJR: Collaboration Agreement |
£120,000 |
2010 –13 |
PI |
European Commission: Freedom, Justice and Security: 'Prevention of and fight against Crime' |
Security Planning and Governance of Risk Commonwealth Games Glasgow G2014, |
EURO 245,000 |
Feb – May 11 |
PI |
Dumfries & Galloway Constabulary, |
Research and Evaluation of Early and Effective Intervention Services for 16 & 17 year olds |
£7,000 |
2010 |
Co-I |
Adam Smith Research Foundation |
Confronting Danger, Feeling Fear: Gender and Emotions in Research |
£1,500 |
2008-10 |
Co-I |
Scottish Government, |
Youth Gangs and Knife Carrying in Scotland |
£160,000 |
2009-2010 |
PI |
Equality and Human Rights Commission, |
The Gender Equality Duty: Policy & Legislative Responses to Gender-based Crime in Scotland, |
£14,500 |
2008 |
Co I |
European Commission Framework Partnership 'Prevention of and Fight Against Crime, 2007-2009’ |
Consenso Projecto (identifying, analysing and disseminating good practices in restorative juvenile justice |
£3,500 |
2008-09 |
Scotland country partner |
Daphne II, European Commission |
Tracking Attrition in Reported Rape Cases, |
£3,500 |
2006-07 |
PI |
Risk Management Authority |
Risk Assessment and Risk Management of Children and Young People who Offend, |
£7,500 |
Aug 06 – Oct 06 |
PI |
Equal Opportunities Commission |
Gender Equality Duty in Scottish Criminal Justice |
£6,025 |
Sept 06 – Sept 12 |
PI |
Scottish Funding Council |
The Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR) |
£1,600,000 |
Sept 06- Sept 12 |
PI |
Scottish Executive Justice Department |
The Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR) |
£1,000,000 |
Jun 05 – Dec 06 |
PI |
Scottish Executive |
The Law of Evidence in Sexual Offence Trials |
£126,000 |
Oct 03 – Mar 05 |
PI |
NHS Health Scotland |
Understanding Young People’s Attitudes Towards Gendered Violence |
£25,000 |
Jun 03 – Dec 04 |
PI |
The Scottish Executive |
The Law of Evidence in Sexual Offence Trials: Base-Line Study |
£58,000 |
Sep 01 – Apr 02 |
Co I |
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation |
Understanding Violence and Aggression in Nursery School Children |
£8,770 |
Aug 98 – Sep 00 |
PI |
ESRC Violence Research Programme |
A View from the Girls: Exploring Violence and Violent Behaviour |
£106,000 |
Jul -Nov 98 |
Co I |
The Scottish Executive |
Attrition of Sexual Offences in the Criminal Justice System |
£8,000 |
Sep 98 – June 00 |
PI |
The Scottish Executive, |
Court Disposals for Mentally Disordered Offenders: Hospital Directions and Extended Interim Orders |
£18,800 |
Sep –Aug 98 |
PI |
The Scottish Office |
Criminal Proceedings and Mentally Disordered Offenders: The Insanity Defence and Unfitness to Plead |
£26,000 |
Apr –Sep 97 |
PI |
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation |
Developing Research Methodologies for Investigating Girls and Violence |
£6,500 |
Sep 95-Jan 96 |
PI |
British Academy/Nuffield Foundation |
Sexual Evidence in South African Sexual Offence Trials |
£10,000 |
Oct 96 – Feb 97 |
PI |
The Scottish Office |
Legal Representation and Ethnic Minority Accused in the Glasgow Courts |
£8,800 |
May –Jul 96 |
PI |
The Scottish Office |
Prosecutorial Decision-Making: Developmental and Pilot Stage |
£5,000 |
Supervision
Current Students
- Baturoglu Balci, Ulku
Constituting Violence: Women's Experiences of Gender-Based Violence in Rural Scotland - Duley, Jeanne
WOMEN, PERPETRATORS OF TERRORISM: A SYMBOL OF CHANGE?
Past Students
Patrick Quinn
Thesis title: Easterhouse 2004: an ethnographic account of men's experience, use and refusal of violence
Funder: ESRC
Awarded PhD: December 2004
Susan Batchelor
Thesis title: 'Prove Me the Bam!' Victimisation and Agency in the Lives of Young Women Who Commit Violent Offences
Funder: ESRC
Awarded PhD: December 2007
Alistair Fraser
Thesis title: Growing up in Glasgow: young people, 'gangs' and community
Funder: College of Social Science Studentship
Awarded PhD: December 2010
Jennifer Fleetwood
Thesis title: Female Drug Mules in the Cocaine Trade
Funder: ESRC
Awarded PhD: December 2010
Selina Doran
Thesis title: News media constructions and policy implications of school shootings in the United States
Funder: self-funding
Awarded PhD: December 2014
Paul McGuinness
Thesis title: Room for reparation? An ethnographic study into the implementation of the Community Payback Order in a Scottish Criminal Justice Social Work Office.
Funder: SCCJR Studentship
Awarded PhD: December 2014
Adam Aitken
Thesis title: G2014 Commonwealth Games Security legacy
Funder: ESRC/Scottish Government Co-Funded Studentship
Awarded PhD: December 2016
Rebecca Foster
Thesis title: Half in/half out: exploring the experiences of the families of prisoners in a Scottish prison visitors' centre.
Funder: Dawes Trust Studentship
Awarded PhD: December 2017
Laura Robertson
Thesis title: A practice-based approach to youth justice: the whole system approach in Scotland.
Funder: ESRC/Scottish Government Co-Funded Studentship
Awarded PhD: December 2017
Caitlin Gormley
Thesis title: Prison, power, and people with learning disabilities: the complexities of curtailed lives.
Funder: ESRC/Cornerstone Collaborative Studentship
Awarded PhD: December 2017
Annie Crowley
Thesis title: Protection for whom? Responding to 'at risk' young women'
Funder: ESRC/Up-2-Us Collaborative Studentship
Awarded PhD: December 2018
Emma Forbes
Thesis title: Perception and reality: an exploration of domestic abuse victims’ experiences of the criminal justice process.
Funder: ESRC/Up-2-Us Collaborative Studentship
Awarded PhD: December 2018
Teaching
Undergraduate
- Module convenor: Understanding and Explaining Crime [86E]
- Module convenor: Understanding Qualitative Research
Postgraduate
Programme Director of the MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice
Programme Director of the MRes Criminology
Module Co-ordinator: Research and Enquiry in Crime and Justice
Module Co-ordinator: Criminal Justice: Global Challenges
Module Co-ordinator: Dissertation Module
Collaborative Postgraduate Teaching
Module Coordinator: Managing and Controlling Crime (MSC/PG/Dip Policing Studies University of Dundee)
Additional information
Consulting and Advice
Michele has worked with a wide range of local and national government and international organisations, including the Scottish Parliament; the Northern Irish Ministry of Justice; and Xunta de Galicia, Spain.
Academic and Professional Body Membership
Member of the British Society of Criminology
Member of the European Society of Criminology
Member of the Socio-Legal Studies Association
Member of the Scottish Association for the Study of Offending (SASO)
Editorial Boards
Co-Editor-in-Chief Criminology and Criminal Justice (2015-2020)