Profesor Elizabeth Yardley

Reader in Criminology, Director of the Centre for Applied Criminology, School of Social Sciences

As Director of Birmingham City University’s Centre for Applied Criminology, Elizabeth works within a specialist centre engaged in a diverse range of research endeavours in and around the criminal justice system.

Her research interests include the representation of female serial killers, the issue of problematic female drinking behaviour, social divisions in prison and meeting the needs of a diverse prison population.

Alongside colleagues from the Birmingham City University Criminology department, Elizabeth researched the issue of British hitmen and received national media attention, featuring in The Guardian, the Daily Mail Online and the International New York Times.

Elizabeth is a regular commentator for TV and radio and blogs regularly for the University’s views@bcu site.

Expertise:

• The social and political context of serious and violent crime
• Gender representations of female deviance and criminality
• Women and serial murder
• The prisoner voice
• Social divisions in prison

Notable coverage:

• Sky News (July 2013)
  Commented on the Daniel Pelka child abuse case
• BBC Politics Show (Nov 2013)
  Discussed research into family annihilators
• ITV Central (Jan 2014)
  Discussed the use of DNA and how it is helpful in prosecutions
• BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme (March 2014)
  Discussed the Joanna Dennehy case and female serial killers