Profile
Dr Kathy Hampson worked for several years as a case manager for a large city Youth Offending Team (YOT), completing her PhD whilst there, researching the emotional intelligence of children who offend (whilst also working for the University of Birmingham on their distance learning Social, Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties MEd). After relocating to North Wales, she worked for the charity Llamau in a hybrid strategy/research project looking at YOT practice around the resettlement of children leaving custody. She now lectures in Criminology at Aberystwyth University, where she continues researching into youth justice (in particular youth justice systems, Child First, Collaboration, legal education in schools).
Research
Publications
Hampson K. and Day A-M. (2025) 'Harmful, Expensive and Criminogenic: The Case for Abolishing Detention and Training Orders in England and Wales', The British Journal of Criminology, azae097, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azae097
Hampson K., Creaney S. and Burns S. (2024) 'Transforming the Balance of Power? Child First Collaboration: A Conceptual Analysis', Societies, Vol. 14(8), 138. https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/14/8/138
Hampson K. (2024) 'Desistance approaches in youth justice: conceptualisations, barriers and enablers. In A. Wigzell, C. Paterson-Young and T. Bateman (Eds.) Desistance and Children. Bristol: Policy Press; pp. 175-193
Hampson K. (2023) ‘Cementing Child First in Practice’ in S. Case and N. Hazel (Eds.) Child First: Developing a new Youth Justice System. London: Palgrave Macmillan
Case, S., and Hampson, K. (2019) ‘Youth Justice Pathways to Change: Drivers, Challenges and Opportunities’, Youth Justice, 19(1): 25–41. https://doi.org/10.1177/1473225418822166
Hampson, K. S. (2018) ‘Desistance Approaches in Youth Justice – The Next Passing Fad or a Sea-Change for the Positive?’ Youth Justice, 18(1), 18–33.