Sofia Graca

I am Principal Lecturer, with an interest in domestic abuse, socio-legal studies and international and inter-professional collaborations

I joined CCCU in 2005 and have worked in the fields of Applied Criminology, Legal Studies and Policing, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. I was School Director for Postgraduate Taught Provision and oversaw the delivery of a number of Masters programmes.

My primary area of interest is domestic abuse, having done research among migrant women living in the UK. I am interested in individuals' relationship with the justice system (broadly understood) and their help-seeking behaviour. I am also interested in the intricacies of multi-agency collaborations and international work and keen to develop research in these fields.

As well as working in partnership with domestic agencies, I have worked with a number of different international institutions, including CEPOL and EUROPOL, and the Police Academy of the Netherlands, delivering courses and advising in the development of educational materials.

I am co-chair of CCCU's Domestic Abuse Hub and look forward to develop partnerships with local and national service providers, as well as other agencies in this field.

Exploring the impact of education led professionalization agenda in policing: Professional identity and engagement with Continuing Professional Development (CPD).. Researcher(s): Mr Peter Heath. Supervisor(s): Dr Katja Hallenberg, Dr Sofia Graca. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Project Liberty phase 2 evaluation. Researcher(s): Dr Sofia Graca. [Project]
To explore neurodiversity in policing from the perspective of police officers who identify as being neurodiverse to gain their experiences within the policing environment.. Researcher(s): Mrs Anjali Howard. Supervisor(s): Dr Katja Hallenberg, Dr Sofia Graca. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Unaccompanied Migrant and Asylum-Seeking Children: A critical exploration of the response to missing unaccompanied and asylum-seeking children in the UK.. Researcher(s): Ms Souadou Brogan. Supervisor(s): Dr Katarina Ozcakir Mozova, Dr Erika Brady, Dr Sofia Graca. [Postgraduate Research Project]

I am Senior Fellow of the HEA, external examiner and advisor at different institutions.

You can follow me on Twitter @Sofia_Graca (the views expressed here are my personal views and do not necessarily reflect those of CCCU).

“(…) Here I have freedom”—A study of refugees' and asylum seekers' legal consciousness in Greece: Self-identity, human rights, and expectations from European Union law Graca, S., Kapageorgiadou, V., (24 Sep 2024): Wiley. [Journal article]
Blackstone's handbook for policing students 2023 Graca, S., Bryant, R., Lawton-Barrett, K., Gilbert, P., Hooper, G., Jones, N., Blackburn, B., McCormack, T., Mitchell, S., Nunn, J., O'Neill, M., Owens, J., (04 Oct 2022). Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Book]
Resistance and the paradox of legal entitlement – A theoretical analysis of migrant women’s responses to domestic abuse in the host country Graca, S., (27 May 2021): Taylor & Francis. [Journal article]
A critical reflection on the use and effectiveness of DVPNs and DVPOs Blackburn, K., Graca, S., (04 Jun 2020): Taylor and Francis Online. [Journal article]
Blackstone's handbook for policing students 2021 Graca, S., Bryant, R., Lawton-Barrett, K., Gilbert, P., Hooper, G., Jones, N., Blackburn, B., McCormack, T., Mitchell, S., Nunn, J., O'Neill, M., Owens, J.. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Book]
Blackstone's handbook for policing students 2020 Graca, S., Bryant, R., Lawton-Barrett, K., Gilbert, P., Hooper, G., Jones, N., Blackburn, B., McCormack, T., Mitchell, S., Nunn, J., O'Neill, M., Owens, J.. Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Book]
Addressing domestic abuse in university student populations Graca, S., Round Table on Domestic Abuse: Traditional Assumptions and Modern Realities. [Conference keynote]
Bystander pilot programme assessment report: comparisons between questionnaire 1 and questionnaire 2 Graca, S.. [Research report]
Blackstone's handbook for policing students 2018 Graca, S., Bryant, R., Lawton-Barrett, K., Gilbert, P., Hooper, G., Jones, N., Blackburn, B., McCormack, T., Mitchell, S., Nunn, J., O'Neill, M., Owens, J., (31 Aug 2017). Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Book]
Domestic violence policy and legislation in the UK: a discussion of immigrant women’s vulnerabilities Graca, S., (2017): Open Journal Systems. [Journal article]
Intervention initiative programme - pilot evaluation Graca, S., Akrivos, D., Aziz, R., Hadjigeorgiou, D.. [Research report]
Portuguese culture and legal consciousness: a discussion of immigrant women’s perceptions of and reactions to domestic violence Graca, S., (28 Nov 2017): Cambridge University Press. [Journal article]
Blackstone's handbook for policing students 2017 Graca, S., Lawton-Barrett, K., Gilbert, P., Hooper, G., Jones, N., Lerpiniere, P., McCormack, T., Mitchell, S., Nunn, J., O'Neill, M., Owens, J., (08 Sep 2016): Open University Press. [Book]
Blackstone's handbook for policing students 2017 Blackburn, B., Graca, S., Lawton-Barrett, K., Gilbert, P., Hooper, G., Jones, G., Lerpiniere, P., McCormack, T., Mitchell, S., Nunn, J., O'Neill, M., Owens, J., Straine-Francis, V., Underwood, R., Wood, D., (08 Sep 2016). Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Book]
Blackstone's handbook for policing students 2016 Graca, S., Lawton-Barrett, K., O'Neill, M., Tong, S., Underwood, R., Wood, D., (10 Sep 2015). Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Book]
Use of domestic violence services by Portuguese women in England Graca, S., (07 Jan 2015): Taylor & Francis. [Journal article]
O modelo Ingles de combate a violencia domestica Graca, S., (2012). [Journal article]
Night-time economy: cooperation between formal and informal social control (case study of Margate) Graca, S., (2008): Vathek Publishing. [Journal article]
Policing, security and crime prevention in the night-time economy: the case study of Margate Graca, S., The British Society of Criminology Annual Conference. [Conference paper]

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School of Law, Policing, and Social Sciences

Dr Sofia Graca

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