Dr. Emma Alleyne

Dr. Emma Alleyne

Emma Alleyne
Occupation(s)	Current position: Reader in forensic psychology at University of Kent - Canterbury, United Kingdom
Academic background
Education	BSc in Psychology MSc and PhD in Forensic Psychology
Alma mater	University of Kent
Academic work
Discipline	Applied Psychology, Forensic Psychology, and Social Psychology
Institutions	McMaster University and University of Kent - Canterbury, United Kingdom

is a distinguished scholar in the field of Forensic Psychology, recognized for her theoretical and empirical contributions with 42 publications to her name. Her research focuses on topics such as different forms of aggressive behavior, Street gang dynamics, interpersonal violence, animal cruelty, human-animal relations, and sexual misconduct, among others . According to Research Gate's data, Dr. Alleyne's work has been cited over 1,100 times and her research work has been accessed over 61,000 times.

Dr. Alleyne serves as a Reader in Forensic Psychology at the University of Kent's School of Psychology in the United Kingdom. She has contributed over 50 publications to the Kent Academic Repository, including articles, conference and workshop presentations, book chapters, edited journals, and research reports. Some of Dr. Emma Alleyne's research is primarily focused on understanding the psychological and behavioral factors associated with various forms of criminal behavior, particularly in contexts such as animal abuse, fire-setting, and gang dynamics. Collectively, her research contributes to the understanding of criminal behaviors, emphasizing the need for targeted prevention and intervention strategies.

Education

In 2005, Dr. Alleyne earned her Bachelor of Science with Honours in Psychology from McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada . She furthered her academic pursuits by obtaining a Master of Science and a Doctorate in Forensic Psychology from the University of Kent, with her MS completed in September 2006, and her PhD pursued in July 2011. Her postgraduate education at the University of Kent provided a robust framework for her present work, shaping her as a researcher and expert in forensic psychology.

Some of her work _{(See chart below for Contributors' full name)}

• Adult-Perpetrated Animal Abuse: A Systematic Literature Review (2017): This study was conducted by Alleyne, and Parfitt, C. This systematic review evaluates the literature on adult-perpetrated animal abuse, identifying key etiological factors related to this offending. Twenty-three studies were analyzed, focusing on characteristics of adult perpetrators and victims of intimate partner violence who experienced animal abuse. Findings revealed that developmental, behavioral, and psychological factors, such as maladaptive parenting and empathy deficits, contribute to perpetration, while in cases of intimate partner violence, animals are often abused as a means of control and intimidation. The review highlights the need for targeted treatment approaches and calls for further empirical and theoretical research in this area.

Alleyne, E., & Parfitt, C. (2019). Adult-Perpetrated Animal Abuse: A Systematic Literature Review. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 20(3), 344–357. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838017708785

• Female Fire-Setters: Gender-Associated Psychological and Psychopathological Features (2016): This study was conducted by Emma Alleyne, Gannon, T.A., Mozova, K., Page, T.E., and Ó Ciardha, C. This study compares incarcerated female fire-setters with male fire-setters and female offender controls to identify psychopathological and psychological features relevant for therapeutic interventions. A total of 65 female fire-setters, 128 male fire-setters, and 63 female offenders were recruited. It is the first study to highlight differences in traits between these groups. The findings emphasize the need for gender- and offense-specific considerations in clinical programs for female fire-setters.

Alleyne, E., Gannon, T. A., Mozova, K., Page, T. E., & Ó Ciardha, C. (2016). Female Fire-Setters: Gender-Associated Psychological and Psychopathological Features. Psychiatry, 79(4), 364–378. https://doi.org/10.1080/00332747.2016.1185892

• Psychological and behavioural characteristics that distinguish street gang members in custody (2016): This study was conducted by Alleyne, E., Wood, J.L., Mozova, K., and James, M. This study examines the psychological and behavioral characteristics that differentiate street gang members from non-gang offenders in custody, using social dominance theory. Participants were recruited from a young offender institution in the United Kingdom. The findings underscore key psychological factors that influence status-driven hierarchies, suggesting implications for treatment development in custodial settings.

Alleyne, E., Wood, J.L., Mozova, K. and James, M. (2016), Psychological and behavioural characteristics that distinguish street gang members in custody. Leg Crim Psychol, 21: 266-285. https://doi.org/10.1111/lcrp.12072

• Taking it out on the dog: Psychological and behavioral correlates of animal abuse proclivity (2016): This study was conducted by Parfitt, C. and Alleyne, E. This study investigates criminogenic factors related to adult animal abuse as it is limited, despite its high prevalence. It distinguishes between two motivations for animal cruelty: direct, where the target is the perceived provocateur, and indirect, where the target is an alternative outlet for aggression. The hypotheses are that childhood animal abuse, empathy, and human-directed aggression will significantly relate to adult animal abuse proclivity in both forms.

Parfitt, C., & Alleyne, E. (2016). Taking It Out on the Dog: Psychological and Behavioral Correlates of Animal Abuse Proclivity. Society & Animals, 24(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685306-12341387

• Adult-perpetrated animal abuse: development of a proclivity scale (2015): This study was conducted by Alleyne, E. Tilston, L., Parfitt, C., and Butcher, R. This paper highlights the significant underreporting of animal cruelty cases and the absence of a validated tool to assess the propensity for animal abuse among the general public. It introduces the Animal Abuse Proclivity Scale (AAPS), presenting preliminary findings that demonstrate its high reliability, its correlation with offense-supportive attitudes, and its cross-national validity. The AAPS is positioned as a valuable tool for researching factors related to animal abuse propensity and advancing both theory and practice in the field.

Alleyne, E., Tilston, L., Parfitt, C., & Butcher, R. (2015). Adult-perpetrated animal abuse: development of a proclivity scale. Psychology, Crime & Law, 21(6), 570–588. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2014.999064

• Any of them will do: In-group identification, out-group entitativity, and gang membership as predictors of group-based retribution (2015): This study was conducted by Vasquez, E.A., Wenborne, L., Peers, M., Alleyne, E., and Ellis, K. This study investigates the relationship between in-group identification, perceptions of out-group entitativity, and willingness to retaliate among juvenile gang and non-gang members in London. Findings indicate that for gang members, a stronger identification with their gang and a perception of rival groups as unified significantly increased their likelihood of retaliating against rivals. The results support socio-psychological theories of group-based aggression, suggesting they are relevant for understanding gang-related violence.

Vasquez, E. A., Wenborne, L., Peers, M., Alleyne, E., & Ellis, K. (2015). Any of them will do: In‐group identification, out‐group entitativity, and gang membership as predictors of group‐based retribution. Aggressive Behavior, 41(3), 242–252. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21581

Shield of the University of Kent. _{Artist: Fvasconcellos. Licensed -Creative Commons}

Key publications - SharkLab, _{(APA 7th Citation)}

• Adult-Perpetrated Animal Abuse: A Systematic Literature Review
• Female Fire-Setters: Gender-Associated Psychological and Psychopathological Features
• Taking it out on the dog’: Psychological and behavioral correlates of animal abuse proclivity
• Adult-perpetrated animal abuse: Development of a proclivity scale.

Grants and Awards

Dr. Alleyne has received several grants and awards throughout her academic career. In 2012, she was awarded £774 by the Faculty Research Committee for a project focusing on the psychological, social, and behavioral characteristics of vulnerable women and girls in a local community. Earlier, in 2014, she received £3,449 from the Faculty Research Committee for her study on adulthood animal abuse, as well as £2,049 from the School of Psychology Seed Fund to investigate the psychological impact of cybercrime. In 2017, she secured a grant of £10,000 from the Petplan Charitable Trust for a project exploring the same topic. Additionally, from 2017 to 2019, she served as a co-investigator on a project funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cumbria, evaluating the use of polygraphs in managing sexual offenders across five police areas, which received £331,260 in funding. In 2019, she was awarded an International Academic Fellowship from the Leverhulme Trust , amounting to £22,239, for her research on understanding why adults abuse animals: Theory and evidence-based practice.

Top Contributors

According to data from ResearchGate, Dr. Alleyne has collaborated with: .

Charlotte Parfit	Tracey Tostevin	Theresa A Gannon	Ria Baker	Victoria P. M. Lister	Chantal A Hermann	Amber Bytheway
Caoilte Ó Ciardha	Mark James	Katie Sambrooks	Aparna Kapoor	Kelly M Babchishin	Michelle Mcmanus	Amanda Somers
Tamsin Lovell	Kirsty Ellis	Eduardo A. Vasquez	Harriet Danby	Leslie Maaike Helmus	Jane Louise Wood	Emily Blake
Rebekah Doley	Magali-Fleur Barnoux	Katarina Mozova	Ross Bartels	Leigh Harkins	Steven M. Gillespie	Jessica Slade
Anke Franz	Helen Butler	Tom Page	Hayley Beresford	Nichola Tyler	Mark E. Olver	Emily E. Little
Mandie Woods	Isabel Fernandes	Elizabeth Pritchard	Elizabeth Spruin	Laura Tilston	Madeline Peers	Daisy N. Elvin
Lisa Wenborne	Ioanna Papadaki	Bill Henry	Roxanne Butcher	Ornela Sienauskaite	Jade Ford

References / Resources

External Links

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Emma-Alleyne

https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/shark/

https://www.kent.ac.uk/psychology/people/213/alleyne-emma

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4335-7176

https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/shark/dr-emma-alleyne/

https://kar.kent.ac.uk/view/email/e=2Ek=2Ea=2Ealleyne=40kent=2Eac=2Euk.html