Dr William Webster

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Lecturer in Psychology

I joined the University of Sunderland as a Lecturer in Psychology in 2020 having previously worked at a number of other universities in the north-east. Prior to working in academia, I worked at a private adolescent forensic unit that provided support to vulnerable youths across the North of England.

Teaching and supervision
Research
Areas of expertise
Further information

Teaching and supervision

I teach the following modules:

Stage One

PSY144 Introduction to Forensic Psychology

Stage Two

PSY264 Psychology of Detection, Interviewing and the Criminal Trial

Stage Three

PSY384 The Psychology of Serious and Violent Offending
PSY391 Forensic Psychology in Practice

Research

My PhD entitled 'The impact of investigative interviews on rape victims: Towards a more effective framework for police investigators' specifically focused on how officers in England currently conduct such interviews. That included:

An exploration of officers' perceptions regarding the use and efficacy of rapport and empathy;
An empirical review of police ABE interviews with rape victims, and;
An exploration of rape victims' experiences of the investigative interview and what encouraged them to cooperate and engage during their respective interviews.

My work also focuses on how perceptions of sexual harassment are influenced by different factors.

Investigative Interviewing of Sexual Offence Victims
Rape Myth Acceptance
Victim Blaming
Sexual Harassment in Higher Education

I am also an Executive Committee member of the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG).

Last updated 08 November 2024