About Dr William Webster
I joined the University 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
I teach the following modules:
- Introduction to Forensic Psychology (Year 1)
- Psychology of Detection, Interviewing and the Criminal Trial (Year 2)
- The Psychology of Serious and Violent Offending (Year 3)
- Forensic Psychology in Practice (Year 3).
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.
Areas of expertise
- Investigative interviewing of sexual offence victims
- Rape myth acceptance
- Victim blaming
- Sexual harassment in higher education
Further information
I'm an Executive Committee member of the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG(opens in new tab)).