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- Our 2019-20 projects were supported by generous funding from the Office of the Vice-Provost (Research) and the UCL faculties of Bartlett, Brain Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Laws, Population Health Sciences, and Social & Historical Sciences.
Missing links: on the social contagion of child disappearances (£10,100)
Through privileged access to a large multiagency dataset, this study will determine the patterns and predictors of missing incidents involving children, with a focus on examining empirically whether a child’s social environment influences their likelihood of going missing. In particular, it will examine whether the risk of going missing is transmissible through social networks, in such a way that missing episodes among individuals might be predictive of subsequent episodes amongst their acquaintances.
Social Scientist Principal Investigator: Dr. Aiden Sidebottom, Senior Lecturer, Security & Crime Science, Engineering Sciences, BEAMS
Non-Social Science Co-Investigator: Dr. Toby Davies, Lecturer, Security & Crime Science, Engineering Sciences, BEAMS
Further details about Missing links: on the social contagion of child disappearances
A feasibility study for implementing Mental Health Support Teams in Further Education Institutions (£11,000)
Following the green paper, Transforming Children and Young People’s Mental Health (2017), Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) are being introduced to support schools in meeting pupils’ mental health needs. This study addresses three key challenges for this initiative: i) cross-disciplinary collaboration; ii) evidence-based practice; iii) the inclusion of the Further Education (FE) sector. Research questions addressed are: 1) What is the current provision for student mental health in FE sites and is it evidence-based? 2) What is the feasibility of implementing MHSTs, in collaboration with Educational Psychologists, in FE contexts?
Social Scientist Principal Investigator: Professor Jane Hurry, Professor of Psychology of Education, Psychology and Human Development, Institute of Education,
Non-Social Science Co-Investigator: Professor Jessica Deighton, Professor in Child Mental Health, Psychology and Language Sciences, Brain Sciences, SLMS
Further details about A feasibility study for implementing Mental Health Support Teams in Further Education Institutions
Children and unsolicited sexual images on Social Media Apps: Developing Better Digital Defences and Literacy (£11,000)
This project seeks to combine qualitative sociology methods with quantitative and experimental computer science research design to better understand how children are navigating the rise of unsolicited sexually graphic content on the social media applications Snapchat and Instagram, which have very high use amongst adolescent children. Our methods are designed to help us trace patterns in unsolicited content to locate the origins and to test the vulnerability of young people’s social media profiles on these apps. We will also design lesson plan content to respond to and combat online risk in these platforms.
Social Scientist Principal Investigator: Professor Jessica Ringrose, Professor Sociology of Gender and Education, Education, Society and Practice, Institute of Education
Non-Social Science Co-Investigator: Dr. Enrico Mariconti, Lecturer, Department of Security and Crime Science, Engineering Sciences, BEAMS
Further details about Children and unsolicited sexual images on Social Media Apps: Developing Better Digital Defences and Literacy