Catherine Hamilton-Giachritsis

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• PhD in Forensic Psychology
• Professor (Full) at University of Bath

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an important part of our everyday lives, yet user requirements for designing AI-assisted systems in law enforcement remain unclear. To address this gap, we conducted qualitative research on decision-making within a law enforcement agency. Our study aimed to identify limitations of existing practices, explore...

Neuroimaging studies suggest that resilience to adversity is linked to reduced emotional reactivity or enhanced emotion regulation. However, such studies are scarce and mainly use adult samples and categorical definitions of resilience. Using a novel, data-driven approach to define resilience dimensionally, based on cumulative adversity exposure ac...

This study examined the influence of design "nudges" on bystanders' willingness to intervene in online harassment using a social media simulation. Utilizing a 2 × 2 experimental design, we tested the ability of key design features (community guidelines and pop-up messaging) to induce a sense of self-efficacy (low/high) and personal responsibility (...

Introduction Children exposed to trauma are vulnerable to developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other adverse mental health outcomes. In low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), children are at increased risk of exposure to severe trauma and co-occurring adversities. However, relative to high-income countries, there is limited eviden...

Previous research on the neurobiological bases of resilience in youth has largely used categorical definitions of resilience, and voxel-based morphometry methods that assess gray matter volume. However, it is important to consider brain structure more broadly as different cortical properties have distinct developmental trajectories. To address thes...

Incidents of online harassment are increasing and can have significant consequences for victims. Witnesses (“digital bystanders”) can be crucial in identifying and challenging harassment. This study considered when and how young adults intervene online, with the aim of understanding the applicability of existing theoretical models (i.e., Bystander...

There is increasing evidence that resilience in youth may have a neurobiological basis. However, the existing literature lacks a consistent way of operationalizing resilience, often relying on arbitrary judgments or narrow definitions (e.g., not developing PTSD) to classify individuals as resilient. Therefore, this study used data-driven, continuou...

A considerable number of adults who are currently living with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are also parents caring for at least one biological child. Evidence suggests that parental PTSD can be associated with impairments to certain parenting behaviours, particularly increasing the use of more negative practices. However, most of the eviden...

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) represents a significant public and social health concern and may present particular complexities in military veteran relationships which are subject to unique stressors including separations, transition to civilian life and increased risk of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Public understanding is vital in ter...

Background: Perpetrators of technology-assisted abuse use an abundance of strategies to manipulate and sexually abuse children online, however victim resistance during and post abuse has yet to be explored in detail. Objective: This study aimed to explore the strategies perpetrators use to overcome direct victim resistance and the strategies vic...

Background: Young people in care are much more likely to experience mental health difficulties than the general population, yet little is known about the provi- sion of mental health support for this group in the United Kingdom. Methods: Using routinely collected social care data, we explored the provision of mental health support for 112 young peo...

Background: It is possible for people to have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) without memory of the trauma event, such as in drug-facilitated sexual assault. However, there is little evidence available on treatment provision for this population. Objective: This study aimed to address this gap by exploring the experiences of people who have...

Background: Understanding the course of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the factors that impact this is essential to inform decisions about when and for whom screening and intervention are likely to be beneficial. Objective: To provide meta-analytic evidence of the course of recovery from PTSD in the first year following trauma, and the...

Background Recent systematic reviews suggest mediating factors (barriers and facilitators) of help‐seeking for children and young people (CYP) with a range of mental health problems but highlight the need for a more robust methodology underpinned by theoretical frameworks. Emotional abuse and neglect is the most prevalent and pervasive form of abus...

Background: Recent systematic reviews suggest mediating factors (barriers and facilitators) of help-seeking for children and young people (CYP) with a range of mental health problems but highlight the need for more robust methodology underpinned by theoretical frameworks. Emotional abuse and neglect is the most prevalent and pervasive form of abuse...

Although negative early life experiences are associated with an increased risk of developing psychopathology, some individuals exposed to childhood adversity demonstrate psychological resilience. Little is known about the neural correlates of resilience, especially in young people. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review of neuroimagi...

Background When child sexual exploitation material is seized, digital forensics analysts are required to manually process all “unknown” digital material by determining (a) whether a child is present in the image, and (b) whether the image is of an indecent nature (i.e., illegal). Objective The aim of the present study was to (a) assess the reliabi...

International law enforcement have noted a rise in the use of the Dark Web to facilitate and commit sexual offenses against children, both prior to and since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study presented here therefore aimed to investigate the characteristics and behaviors of anonymous users of Dark Web platforms who were suspected of eng...

Child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) has grave implications for the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. It has been linked to a wide range of difficulties which may extend into adulthood. School-based prevention programs that aim to raise awareness (and thereby have the potential to prevent CSEA) are popular, however, ha...

Background There is little research exploring the impact of technology assisted child sexual abuse (TA-CSA) and how this is similar to/differs from offline. Objectives This novel study aimed to understand the impact following TA-CSA from the perspective of young people, including identifying additional elements or complexities arising from the dig...

Rational:Research suggests that parenting behaviours are negatively affected by parental trauma. However, thus far, the evidence base has provided limited insight into why this occurs. Further, the available evidence has focused largely on high income contexts (HICs), and we know much less about the experiences of parents in low- and middle-income...

Background Despite the rise in ‘online’/technology-assisted child sexual abuse (TA-CSA), little research has been conducted on professionals’ perceptions beyond reporting on young people’s experiences. Objectives This novel study aimed to understand how professionals who work with victims perceive online CSA (i.e., dynamics and impact), and organi...

Research has demonstrated that approximately 45–50% of individuals show healthy levels of psychological and physical functioning in the first 12 months post-loss. Homicidal bereavement (loss due to murder or manslaughter) does not appear to follow this pattern. Homicide-related mental health difficulties are a serious problem worldwide, displaying...

While it is known that young people exposed to maltreatment or abuse are at elevated risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), much of our current knowledge of mechanisms that link trauma to childhood PTSD is based on single-incident, often noninterpersonal, trauma. Theoretical models highlight psychological processes of appraisals,...

Objective People with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) may experience heightened rejection sensitivity (RS), a disposition developing from repeated childhood rejecting experiences. It is not known whether the full RS model accounts for the cognitive–affective experiences common in BPD. This systematic review extends upon previous reviews, firs...

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious and debilitating disorder that can develop following exposure to a traumatic event. Where parents develop PTSD, it may have an impact on their parenting role. Objective: The objective was to review the existing evidence base on parental PTSD, examining whether parental PTSD has an impact...

Attachment often contributes to decision-making in child care proceedings. 1 Attachment refers to the protection and comfort that caregivers provide and these are precisely the attributes threatened in child care proceedings. Assessment of attachment can reveal family mem-bers' protective strategies, the historical experiences that have shaped the...

Objective: Research on homicidal bereavement has focused on postloss impact and coping. Less is known about how individuals perceive their adjustment posthomicide. Adverse experiences are likely to leave individuals with an increased risk of developing severe psychological difficulties, such as depression, Post-traumatic stress (PTSD), anxiety and...

This study sought to understand how individuals bereaved through homicide (murder or manslaughter) describe their postevent experiences to inform clinical needs and promote mechanisms for change. A total of 21 participants (18 females) between the ages of 29 and 66 (M age = 47.81 years, SD = 8.99) took part in this study. They were all participatin...

The aim of the present study was to gain an understanding of the perspectives of men who were convicted of committing a sexual offense that included online sexual grooming. It explores their experiences of illegal interactions with young people via Internet communication platforms, which progressed to physical meetings. Semistructured interviews we...

Objective Previous reviews demonstrate that universal school-based anxiety prevention programs are generally effective in the short-term, but have not yet provided a clear evaluation of the longer-term effects. This review focuses exclusively on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of universal school-based anxiety prevention programs that included...

The ability to perspective-take (cognitive awareness of another's state) and empathise (emotional/affective response) are important characteristics for sensitive, co-operative and constructive parenting, which assists in developing adaptive functioning for children. For the first time, immersive virtual reality was used to place parents in the posi...

- Impact of child sexual abuse - Impact of online sexual abuse - also known as technology-assisted sexual abuse - Young people's views of professional responses to abuse - Young people's views on how sexual abuse could be better prevented and responded to - Dynamics of online sexual abuse

Abstract Background No standardised system of triage exists in Maternity Care and local audit identified this to be problematic. We designed, implemented and evaluated an Obstetric Triage System in a large UK maternity unit. This includes a standard clinical triage assessment by a midwife, within 15 min of attendance, leading to assignment to a cat...

The aim of the present study was to (a) assess the reliability with which indecent images of children (IIOC) are classified as being of an indecent versus nonindecent nature, and (b) examine in detail the decision-making process engaged in by law enforcement personnel who undertake the difficult task of identifying and classifying IIOC as per the c...

The distribution of attachment styles has been shown to differ between groups of children living with their parents and children placed in alternative care (AC), defined as residential or foster. However, this is the first study in Latin America to explore possible factors affecting the quality of attachment in children living in both residential a...

Attachment has been assessed in children living in alternative care (AC) settings, such as Residential Homes (RC) and Foster Care (FC). However, no study has been conducted to compare attachment styles in residential, foster and parental care conducted as usual in the same country at the same point in time. There is also a lack of studies conducted...

Today's adolescents grow up using information and communication technologies as an integral part of their everyday life. This affords them with extensive opportunities, but also exposes them to online risks, such as cybergrooming and cyberbullying victimization. The aims of this study were to investigate correlates of cybergrooming and cyberbullyin...

The principal researcher would like to express her gratitude and appreciation to the police forces involved for their assistance, time and effort in providing access to their case material. Abstract The aim of the present study was to provide an inclusive and realistic account of the offense processes of naturally-occurring, sexually exploitative i...

A large number of children around the world are currently living in residential children’s homes and a central figure in those settings is the caregiver. The relationship children establish with their temporary caregivers can be a crucial factor in their lives. However, little research has been conducted with caregivers working in institutional set...

Online offending can occur in a variety of ways, including grooming with a view to online or offline abuse, the distribution of images and, arguably, the incitement of others to offend. This chapter summarises our current understanding of online child sex offending behaviour and identifies knowledge gaps for further development. It first addresses...

This chapter provides a summary of the theoretical perspectives behind the aetiology of child abuse and neglect, including historical perspectives. Early theories of child maltreatment focused on single-factor causes, such as psychopathology/mental illness. The aetiology of child maltreatment is complex and heterogeneous and single-cause approaches...

This introductory chapter presents an overview of the concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. Family violence and child maltreatment is a serious and international public health concern. The book aims to put the need to evidence child protection practice at the forefront. It sets out to provide a comprehensive overview of the cu...

Transcripts of chat logs of sexually exploitative interactions between offenders and victims that took place via Internet communication platforms were analysed to develop our understanding of this phenomenon from the perspective of the victim. The aim of the study was to examine victims’ behaviour and responses to approaches by offenders, as well a...

Background A large number of children are currently living in Alternative Care. The relationship they establish with their temporary caregivers can play a significant role in their development. However, little has been published regarding attachment with temporary Caregivers. Objective The aim of this review is to analyse the existing published stu...

It has long been hypothesized that feelings of inferiority or low self-esteem lead individuals to aggress against those they view as being threatening. However, recent studies suggest that it is not just the level of self-esteem but stability that is relevant to understanding this process. As such, researchers have looked to related constructs, suc...

Transcripts of chat logs of naturally occurring, sexually exploitative interactions between offenders and victims that took place via Internet communication platforms were analyzed. The aim of the study was to examine the modus operandi of offenders in such interactions, with particular focus on the specific strategies they use to engage victims, i...

This study involved interviews with three female victims of on-line grooming and contact sexual abuse and the three adult males who groomed and abused them. Results indicate that victim and offender dyads most commonly disagreed in their accounts of the sexual elements of the relationship, including initiation; stage when sexualization took place;...

An increasing amount of research has been conducted on crime linkage, a practice that has already been presented as expert evidence in some countries; however it is questionable whether standards of admissibility, applied in some jurisdictions, have been achieved (e.g., the Daubert criteria). Much research has assessed the two basic assumptions und...

Public policies regarding children in care systems have varied widely throughout history and within countries around the world. At the present time, an important number of children live without parental care and their needs and rights must be addressed by the State within which they reside. Following an important number of studies carried out mainl...

The aim of this paper is to highlight key themes within the process of online grooming from the victim’s perspective. Eight adolescents who experienced online grooming were interviewed and data were analysed using Thematic Analysis. It was found that participants, who had been both sexually abused online and/or offline, were subjected to a range of...

The Birmingham Symptom specific Obstetric Triage System (BSOTS) involves standardised initial triage assessment (within 15 min15 minutes of arrival) of women when unscheduled pregnancy-related attendances occur. This standardised assessment identifies the level of clinical urgency defined as red (see immediately), orange (see within 15 min), yellow...

There are investigative advantages to being able to determine early in a police investigation whether a rape has been committed by a serial or a one-off rapist. Previous research has found some differences in the crime-scene behaviors of serial and one-off rapists; however, this research suffers from the limitation of utilizing a sample of rapes wi...

The aim of this paper was to review research investigating resilient outcomes for people with a history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and implications for practice, as well as to consider issues for clearer definitions. Fifty English language peer‐reviewed studies (1991–2010) met the inclusion criteria. The reviewed papers identified a number of...

Little is known about why some children and young people are vulnerable to being groomed online, yet this has important implications for policy, practice and prevention. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify factors contributing to a young person's vulnerability towards online grooming. Thematic Analysis was conducted on eight interviews...

Introduction Prevention of child maltreatment is traditionally classified into three levels: primary prevention (universal services aimed at the whole population); secondary prevention (targeted services for families identified as in need of further support); and tertiary prevention (services offered once difficulties have occurred). However, incre...

Police decision making in rape cases is poorly understood, despite high levels of attrition for rape and sexual assault cases, with up to 75% lost at the investigation stage. A qualitative analysis was undertaken of the comments of 22 British detectives as they conducted a ‘virtual investigation’ of an allegation of attempted rape of an adult woman...

The process of online grooming facilitates child abuse and is a threat to young people across the world. This literature review explores the research surrounding how young people are targeted by offenders on the internet. Definitions, prevalence and characteristics of online grooming are addressed in addition to consideration of child sexual abuse...

This review explores risk factors that may make a young person vulnerable to being groomed online. Even though research in this area is extremely limited, adolescents appear to be the age group most vulnerable to online grooming. Other vulnerabilities appear to be consistent with those associated with offline sexual abuse. The review suggests that...

Abstract Police decision-making in rape cases is poorly understood, despite high levels of attrition for rape and sexual assault cases, with up to 75% lost at the investigation stage. A qualitative analysis was undertaken of the comments of 22 British detectives as they conducted a ‘virtual investigation’ of an allegation of attempted rape of an a...

The worst of institutional care was brought to public attention in Romania during the 1990s when pictures of severely deprived and malnourished children were shown around the world. However, many European countries have high rates of young children in institutions, where the physical care of the child predominates, with social/emotional needs a sec...

This review evaluates the quality of recent meta-analyses on child sexual abuse and adult psychopathology. Using systematic review methods, seven recently published, English-language meta-analyses met the inclusion criteria of assessing outcome of child sexual abuse. Some methodological weaknesses were identified, such as failure to assess the vali...

This review evaluates the quality of recent meta-analyses on child sexual abuse and adult psychopathology. Using systematic review methods, seven recently published, English-language meta-analyses met the inclusion criteria of assessing outcome of child sexual abuse. Some methodological weaknesses were identified, such as failure to assess the vali...

The feasibility and prevalence of reciprocal, hierarchical and paternal patterns of family aggression hypothesised by Dixon and Browne (2003) were explored within a sample of maltreating families. The psychological reports of 67 families referred to services for alleged child maltreatment that evidenced concurrent physical intimate partner violence...

The feasibility and prevalence of Reciprocal, Hierarchical and Paternal patterns of family aggression hypothesised by Dixon and Browne (2003) were explored within a sample of maltreating families. The psychological reports of 67 families referred to services for alleged child maltreatment that evidenced concurrent physical intimate partner violence...

This study investigates the continuation and discontinuation of the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment within the first 13 months of the child’s life. Differences in risk factors and parenting styles between families who initiate (Initiators), maintain (Maintainers) or break (Cycle Breakers) the intergenerational cycle of child ma...

The heterogeneity of domestic violent men has long been established. However, research has failed to examine this phenomenon among men committing the most severe form of domestic violence. This study aims to use a multidimensional approach to empirically construct a classification system of men who are incarcerated for the murder of their female pa...

This study considers the characteristics associated with mothers and fathers who maltreat their child and each other in comparison to parents who only maltreat their child. One hundred and sixty-two parents who had allegations of child maltreatment made against them were considered. The sample consisted of 43 fathers (Paternal Family—PF) and 23 mot...

.BrowneK., Hamilton-GiachritsisC., JohnsonR. & OstergrenM. ( 2006) , 332, 485487.

A recent survey has revealed a large number of young children in institutional care across Europe. Young children placed in institutional care without parents may be at risk of harm. This review considers systematically the research evidence on the impact of institutional care on brain growth, attachment, social behavior, and cognitive development....

Research evidence increasingly suggests that young children in residential care without parents are at risk of harm in terms of attachment disorder, develop- mental delay and normal brain development. This damage caused by early privation of parenting has been shown to have long-term consequences. Kevin Browne and colleagues* report on a survey of...

Relatively little research has considered the risk to siblings within maltreating families. The sample in the present study consisted of the 795 siblings from a cohort of 400 "index" children who had been referred to police child protection units in England for abuse and/or neglect. In 44% of families (valid cases), the index child was scapegoated,...

The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between therapeutic climate and the effectiveness of CBT treatment for sexual offenders in U.K. prisons. To this end a measure of group atmosphere was administered to members and leaders of 12 treatment groups running the same prison-based sexual offender treatment program. Treatment outcome was...

There is continuing debate on the extent of the effects of media violence on children and young people, and how to investigate these effects. The aim of this review is to consider the research evidence from a public-health perspective. A search of published work revealed five meta-analytic reviews and one quasi-systematic review, all of which were...

This study provides an exploration of factors implicated in the intergenerational cycle of child maltreatment. Families with newborns where at least one of the parents was physically and/or sexually abused as a child (AP families) were compared in terms of risk factors to families where the parents had no childhood history of victimization (NAP fam...

This study extends previous research (Dixon, Browne, & Hamilton-Giachritsis, 2004) by exploring the mediational properties of parenting styles and their relation to risk factors in the intergenerational cycle of child maltreatment. Families with newborns where at least one of the parents was physically and/or sexually abused as a child (AP families...

This book deals with child abuse and neglect as it presents itself in primary care. All health professionals, including those who work in primary care, have an important role to play in the child protection process. Inappropriate management of suspected instances of child abuse may result in serious implications for the child, family and involved p...