Amber McKinley

Associate Professor Amber McKinley is a Clinical and Forensic Victimologist at Charles Sturt University's Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security. She lectures in courses including Theoretical, Applied and Forensic Victimology, Human Trafficking: A Global Perspective, and Professionalism and Resilience in Public Safety. As Higher Degree Research Coordinator, she bridges academia with practical policing and security applications.

• Bachelor of Liberal Studies (University of Western Sydney)
• Master of Criminal Justice (Monash University)
• PhD in Criminology (Bond University)

Her research focuses on homicide trends, femicide patterns, human trafficking, and police-involved shootings, with projects tracing gender dynamics in serial homicide and vicarious trauma in military personnel. Her 2025 article Reframing harm explores pornography's role in intimate partner violence.

Scientific awards include the Charles Sturt University Vice-Chancellor's Award for Research Excellence (2022) and a Certificate of Appreciation from the Australian Federal Police (2024). She advises on UN Sustainable Development Goals for education and security, and her 25+ publications span victimology, serial homicide analysis, and transnational crime prevention.