Alyssa Knisley - 2019 Cohort

  Alyssa Knisleyajk206@cam.ac.uk

  US

  Institute of Criminology, Lucy Cavendish College

  PhD thesis: Young people’s experiences and perceptions of violence and weapon carrying (provisional title)

  Research interests

  1. Weapon-facilitated violence

  2. Youth violence and weapon carrying

  3. Multilevel approaches to the study of crime

  4. Inequality and crime

My PhD focuses on how young people perceive and make sense of their experiences with violence and weapon carrying in their communities. My research employs a mixed-methods design, utilising semi-structured interviews with young people in alternative provision and practitioners alongside data concerning community characteristics, crime, and social processes within small areas in England.

Who or what inspired you to pursue your research interests?

I am motivated by an interest in strengthening the relationship between criminal justice practitioners and academic approaches to understanding offending behaviours among young people.