Aisling McLaughlin

Dr. Aisling McLaughlin is a Lecturer in Criminology at the School of Applied Social and Policy Sciences, Ulster University, based at the Derry~Londonderry campus. She is affiliated with the Institute for Research in Social Sciences. Her research focuses on adolescent substance use, family dynamics, and resilience in vulnerable populations, with a particular emphasis on children affected by parental substance abuse. Her work bridges criminology, public health, and social policy to inform service provision and policy interventions.

Her research interests include decision-making support systems for service users, the impact of parental substance use on youth resilience, and evaluating voluntary sector alternatives to statutory services. Notable projects include the Belfast Youth Development Study (BYDS), a longitudinal cohort study examining substance use trajectories from adolescence into adulthood.

Key thematic areas in her publications include:

• Adolescent substance use prevention and intervention strategies
• Family and school influences on youth behavior
• Supported decision-making frameworks for vulnerable groups
• Voluntary sector service provision efficacy

Her recent work (2018–2020) emphasizes qualitative methodologies to explore service user experiences and policy implications. No scientific awards are listed in the provided materials. She collaborates with organizations like Barnardo’s and contributes to policy discussions on child welfare and substance abuse prevention.