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.

To find out more about my academic interests, research outputs and impact, please see my profile in Pure: https://pure.canterbury.ac.uk/en/persons/sofia-graca-2/

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]
Perpetrator Intervention Bid. Researcher(s): Miss Mary Makinde, Miss Shauna McCusker, Dr Sofia Graca, Professor Robin Bryant, Ms Hannah Lewis, Dr Anwesa Chatterjee. [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 Sou Brogan. Supervisor(s): Dr Sofia Graca, Dr Erika Brady, Dr Katarina Ozcakir Mozova. [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., (NaN), NULL, The British Society of Criminology Annual Conference. NULL: NULL. [contributionToConference]
#NoExcuse for online abuse: 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, NULL. NULL: Canterbury Christ Church University. [other]
16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence: Ending digital abuse? Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, NULL. NULL: NULL. [other]
Blackstone's Handbook for Policing Students 2026 Graca, S., Wood, D., Bradshaw, S., Dickens, T., Parker-McLeod, J., Davis, C., (2025), NULL, NULL. NULL: Oxford University Press. [book]
International Women’s Day and Domestic Homicide Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, NULL. NULL: Canterbury Christ Church University. [other]
“(…) 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., (2024): Wiley. [Journal article]
“(…)Just keep your head down and go(…)”: an exploration of perceptions and reactions to hate crime of refugees and asylum seekers in Greece Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, The British Society of Criminology Annual Conference. NULL: NULL. [contributionToConference]
Blackstone's Handbook for Policing Students 2025 Graca, S., Wood, D., Bradshaw, S., Dickens, T., Parker-McLeod, J., (NaN), NULL, NULL. NULL: Oxford University Press. [book]
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women – it’s been 43 years and yet… Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, NULL. NULL: NULL. [other]
It’s UN’s Human Rights Day; why should we care? Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, NULL. NULL: Canterbury Centre for Policing Research. [other]
Police Training in Europe Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, CEPOL Research and Science Conference. NULL: NULL. [contributionToConference]
Blackstone's Handbook for Policing Students 2024 Graca, S., Wood, D., Bradshaw, S., Dickens, T., Parker-McLeod, J., Davis, C., (NaN), NULL, NULL. NULL: Oxford University Press. [book]
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., (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., (2021): Taylor & Francis. [Journal article]
A critical reflection on the use and effectiveness of DVPNs and DVPOs Blackburn, K., Graca, S., (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]
Use of DVPOs and DVPNs within the Metropolitan Police Service Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, Domestic Abuse Conference 2018: Thinking Outside Of The Box: Learning from each other to improve responses to domestic abuse by SATEDA, Rising Sun and CCCU. NULL: NULL. [contributionToConference]
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., (2017). Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Book]
Combatting sexual violence in university settings: a pilot evaluation of an Intervention Initiative programme and suggestions for the way forward Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, The British Society of Criminology Annual Conference. NULL: NULL. [contributionToConference]
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., (2017): Cambridge University Press. [Journal article]
Russia changes the law on domestic violence – why should it concern the UK? Graca, S., (2017), NULL, NULL. NULL: NULL. [other]
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., (2016). Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Book]
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., (2016): Open University Press. [Book]
MSc in Policing 2006-2016: 10 years of transnational collaboration Graca, S., Peeters, H., (NaN), NULL, CEPOL Research and Science Conference. NULL: NULL. [contributionToConference]
Portuguese women’s invocation of law: a legal consciousness approach Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, Socio-Legal Scholars Association’s Annual Conference. NULL: NULL. [contributionToConference]
A Socio-Legal Analysis of Immigrant Women’s Perceptions and Responses to Domestic Violence Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, European Society of Criminology. NULL: NULL. [contributionToConference]
Blackstone's handbook for policing students 2016 Graca, S., Lawton-Barrett, K., O'Neill, M., Tong, S., Underwood, R., Wood, D., (2015). Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Book]
Some Thoughts on the College of Policing’s New APP on Domestic Abuse Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, NULL. NULL: Canterbury Centre for Policing Research. [other]
Use of domestic violence services by Portuguese women in England Graca, S., (2015): Taylor & Francis. [Journal article]
Blackstone’s Handbook for Policing Students 2015, (2014). Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Book]
Domestic Violence – is Further Criminalisation the Answer? Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, NULL. NULL: SAGE. [other]
Domestic Violence in the Portuguese Community in England (focus on service providers) Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, The British Society of Criminology Annual Conference. NULL: NULL. [contributionToConference]
Portuguese immigrants, domestic violence and the English justice system Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, Society of Legal Scholars Conference. NULL: NULL. [contributionToConference]
Responses to Domestic Violence in the Portuguese Community Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, Socio-Legal Studies Association Conference. NULL: NULL. [contributionToConference]
Blackstone’s handbook for policing students 2014, (2013). Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Book]
Blackstone's handbook for policing students 2013, (2012). Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Book]
O modelo Ingles de combate a violencia domestica Graca, S., (2012). [Journal article]
Blackstone's handbook for policing students 2012, (2011). Oxford: Oxford University Press. [Book]
Book Review: Jackie Turton: Child Abuse, Gender and Society Oxon: Routledge, 2008 Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, NULL. NULL: NULL. [contributionToJournal]
Handbook of Victims and Victimology by S. Walklate (Ed.). Graca, S., (NaN), NULL, NULL. NULL: NULL. [contributionToJournal]
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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01227923180

Old Sessions House (OS.0.26), Canterbury

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Dr Sofia Graca

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