This thesis explores the characteristics, treatment needs and sub-types of Female Sexual Offenders (FSO). Chapter One presents an introduction to the research into FSO. Chapter Two presents a systematic review which assesses the literature that has investigated characteristics and typologies of FSO. Chapter Two identifies that FSO are a heterogeneous group and reports that the literature has emphasised differences between solo and co-offenders. Chapter Three critiques a scale from the Multiphasic Sex Inventory- II that has been used in FSO research. This scale is identified as being inappropriate for use with FSO and it is concluded that further research comparing FSO with Male Sexual Offenders (MSO) is required to understand their similarities and differences. Chapter Four attempts to address gaps in the research of FSO by statistically comparing solo and co-offenders (study 1) and solo, co-offenders and MSO (study 2) on a range of clinical characteristics. Significant differences were found between solo and co-offenders, and solo, co-offenders and MSO on a variety of characteristics. Chapter Four makes recommendations about the treatment needs and management of solo and co-offenders in light of these findings. Finally, Chapter Five presents an overall discussion of the chapters presented.

This study explores children's social workers' experiences of and practices in space. It is based on ethnographic research with social workers in two sites and examines data from observations, interviews with social workers, photographs and other images of the spaces in which social workers practised. The study draws on the work of Henri Lefebvre, concerned with how space is produced through spatial practices, conceptions of space and moments of lived space, which occur beyond these conventions and escape complete articulation. The study uses this analytical frame in order to explore how social workers produce certain kinds of spaces as significant in their practice. It identifies a small number of affect-heavy spaces which hold great importance for children's social work: social work offices, children's and practitioners' bodies, families' homes as they are experienced by practitioners during home visits, the wider neighbourhoods which social workers associate with service users. In particular, it identifies social workers' attention to small things and micro-scales in their practice. This enables social workers to present their work as sensitive to that which is imperceptible to others but also leads to a restricted focus and limited engagement with the social and political contexts of service users' lives.

Women comprise a minority of the offending population and their crimes are less likely to inflict serious harm when compared with male offenders. Although men may be the predominant perpetrators of violence this does not outweigh the need for evidence informed practice in the assessment and management of risk in female offenders. This thesis aims to explore the assessment of risk in female offenders through three pieces of research. Firstly, a systematic review of the validity of risk assessments in predicting recidivism and violence for female offenders is presented. This demonstrates that there was great variability with respect to the accuracy of risk assessment tools in predicting recidivism or violence. It also demonstrated that there is a significant gap in the empirical base with respect to assessing risk in female offenders. A critique of the HCR-20V3 is subsequently presented to assess its reliability and validity. The fourth chapter presents an empirical paper. This evaluated the predictive validity of gender-neutral and gender-responsive risk assessments in predicting inpatient violence in female psychiatric offenders. Results indicated that the gender neutral assessments did not perform significantly better than the traditional gender-specific risk assessments in predicting inpatient violence. The final chapter of the thesis concludes by discussing the overall findings as well as the implications for future research and clinical practice. It is suggested that further the gender-responsive approach to female offenders may be better adopted to the management of female offenders rather than to the assessment of their risk.

This study explores educational psychologists' (EPs') perceptions of practice with children and families who have experienced domestic violence and abuse (DVA). A literature review of DVA outcomes for children revealed negative impacts, alongside potential protective factors. Psychological theory for explaining these outcomes are reviewed, and whilst beneficial, each theory does not fully explain how the child develops. Bronfenbrenner's Process, Person, Context, Time theory (1989) was suggested as a valuable basis for creating supportive resources for EP practice, to be used during assessment, intervention and evaluation. Trialled in a case study of three EPs, semi-structured interviews were used before and after the use of the resource pack, to explore potential practice changes. Thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006) was employed to create themes, both deductively according to Bronfenbrenner's ecological categories, and driven by the data inductively. Analysis of ' pre-resource' practice suggested there were key aspects of Bronfenbrenner's bioecological model that were not commonly explored by the EPs. Moreover, barriers to practice were identified in the form of lack of time; limited DVA knowledge; and lack of appropriate resources. 'Post- resource' practice suggested many changes, which were perceived by the participants as providing them with a deeper understanding of the child. Overall it has been suggested that the resource pack has supported many practice developments, yet there are still areas which fail to be addressed. It is acknowledged that not all practice barriers will be overcome by a refined resource pack in isolation, yet participants claimed to find it a valuable addition to their practice 'toolkit'. As this resource pack is in its relative infancy, suggestions regarding its growth and development are made.

In the decade following the end of the Second World War, a mass migration of Italian workers came to the United Kingdom to be employed in Britain’s factories and mines. Amongst these, many were women. Thanks to official recruitment schemes drafted by the British and Italian governments of the time, young women left Italy in their thousands, to be employed as domestic workers or in factories, especially in the textile districts of Lancashire and Yorkshire. Here, they joined other migrants recruited through the European Volunteer Workers scheme, a government-led operation aimed at sourcing manpower from mainland Europe. The Official Italian Scheme was one of such recruitments, but one of the least investigated. The present research begins by studying the process of recruitment of young Italian women, within the wider context of Italy’s post-war emigration policies and its diplomatic relations with Great Britain. Subsequently, the research focuses on the entry of Italian women in the textile districts of Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Yorkshire and the process of their integration within British society. Finally, the thesis examines the attitudes of Catholic missionaries in Britain, the Italian expatriate community, the implications arising from mixed marriages and the formation of new multicultural families.

This study examines why some Muslim women in Syria are turning towards an Islamist faith practice and devoutness in the context of the Syrian da‘wa movement. Based on interviews and participant observation from 2006 – 2011 it demonstrates that the quest for the power to live authentic religious lives as devout Muslims lies at the heart of the phenomenon. It argues that the individual development as illustrated by the in-depth profiles of five women, is facilitated by the new access to religious education for women in mosques and private lessons through female preachers that was advocated by the male religious elite. In previous research the compliance of women with restrictive Islamist practices such as veiling has often been explained as empowering women through aiming at mobility and the participation in public space. This thesis argues that the extent to which the participants went in adapting their lives to the Islamist ideal cannot be sufficiently explained by this hypothesis. Rather, it points at their religious motivations to gain a meaningful, emotionally satisfying and correct religious practice in the hope of divine reward. In addition, this thesis analyses the ambiguity of the question of female empowerment as experienced by women in the social and political sense and as religious leaders on one hand and on the other the participants' own concept of empowerment as divine enablement to submission. Thus it contributes to a fuller understanding of devout Islamist women according to their values and self-perception, and offers insights into the unique Syrian context.

This thesis considers the experiences of female offenders in their efforts to desist from offending. It also explores the potential impact of an intervention programme in the process of desistance. The first chapter introduces desistance and outlines the aims of the thesis. The second chapter is a systematic literature review of the risk factors associated with female offending. It was found that mental health needs, parental stress, substance misuse and adverse experiences are associated with female offending. The third chapter explores desistance in a sample of adult female offenders. Quantitative analysis found that Intermediate Outcomes Measurement Instrument (IOMI) showed significant improvements in areas including hope, interpersonal trust and impulsivity when women engaged in the Geese Theatre group. Interviews with female offenders showed that the following themes were identified as being associated with desistance: Skills and Attributes; The Usefulness of Programmes; Support; Purpose Driven Life; Risk Factors; and Consequences. The findings lent support to the desistance theories of cognitive transformation; self-control; self-identity; social control; and social capital. Chapter four is a critique of the IOMI. In the final chapter the findings of each chapter are discussed with reference to the need for further research and the implications for current practice.

Research was undertaken in an English shire county, investigating the experience of families that have children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) regarding daily life and their attitudes and experience concerning short breaks (‘respite care’). The research comprised three phases: a postal survey of 256 families, a survey of 27 social workers, and semi-structured interviews carried out with mothers, fathers, siblings and children with ASD from 14 families. The research identified the significant impact of ASD on family life. Differing key themes emerged within mothers’, fathers’, siblings’ and children with ASD’s narratives. Benefits and shortcomings of short breaks were identified and quality indicators were suggested in a number of key areas: organisational, environmental, staff-, child- and family-related and psychological. Factors associated with short breaks use included family attitudes and values, information, service shortfall, family adaptation, child’s age, diagnosis and school placement and allocation to a social worker. Social workers were identified as having inconsistent and at times incorrect understandings of ASD; the factors associated with access to services were mediated by the views of the social worker involved. An interactive, systemic model, derived from the analysis, is suggested as helpful in understanding interplay between families, social workers and service providers.

This thesis comprises of three papers. The first is a literature review that focuses on the positive impact on parents caring for a child with an intellectual disability. Fourteen themes pertaining to positive impact are derived from papers and the two main measures used to assess positive impact are The Kansas Inventory of Positive Perceptions and The Positive and Negative Assessment Scale. The relationship between positive impact of caring and parental wellbeing is explored. Wellbeing is raised when there are positive perception of caring. The empirical paper explores the relationship between parental stress, challenging behaviour and characteristics of autism spectrum disorder. When people with autism spectrum disorder show challenging behaviours, characteristics of adaptive functioning, pleasure and interest, and reciprocal social interaction are lower and impulsivity is heightened in comparison to people showing no challenging behaviours. Age also differs between groups. Negative correlations between adaptive functioning, pleasure and interest and social reciprocal interaction and parental stress are found. There is a positive correlation between impulsivity and parental stress. Impulsivity is the only predictor of stress. The third paper is a public domain briefing document, which gives an overview of the literature review and empirical paper for dissemination to the general population.

This thesis investigates sexual assaults committed by multiple perpetrators. Chapter 1 reviews the literature on multiple perpetrator rape and demonstrates that it is an international and heterogeneous phenomenon. Chapter 2 cntically examines the existing theories (including the Multi-Factorial Theory of Multiple Perpetrator Sexual Offending) proposed to explain multiple perpetrator rape. Some empirical evidence was found that supports the factors that these theories suggest contribute to this type of sexual offending. In Chapter 3 lone and multiple perpetrator rapes were compared, and simultaneously the effect the number of perpetrators involved in multiple perpetrator rapes has on offence characteristics was examined. Significant differences were found between lone, duo and 3+ groups for offender and offence characteristics. Chapter 4 examined cross-cultural differences between multiple perpetrator rapes committed by juveniles in Portugal and the Netherlands. Few significant differences were found. Chapter 5 analysed the reasons and motivations given by convicted perpetrators of multiple perpetrator rape for participating in the offence. The findings provided support for some of the factors proposed by the Multi-Factorial Theory of Multiple Perpetrator Sexual Offending as playing a role in multiple perpetrator rape. The results of the thesis are discussed in terms of limitations, future research and theoretical and practical implications.