Caoilte Ó Ciardha

Dr. Caoilte Ó Ciardha is a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology and Deputy Head of School at the University of Kent's School of Psychology. He serves as Head of Undergraduate Recruitment and Student Experience and is a member of the UG Outreach Team. Dr. Ó Ciardha is affiliated with the Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychology (CORE-FP) and holds editorial positions with journals including Sexual Abuse and Psychology, Crime & Law. He also serves on the research committee of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA).

Dr. Ó Ciardha obtained his PhD from Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) in 2010. His doctoral research examined the use of indirect/implicit cognitive measures in the assessment of individuals who had sexually offended. Following his PhD, he joined the University of Kent in 2011 as a postdoctoral research associate working on an ESRC funded project to develop a psychological treatment programme for adults who had engaged in deliberate firesetting.

Dr. Ó Ciardha's research focuses on the aetiology of offending behaviour, as well as on the assessment and treatment of factors that are causally related to offending. His work primarily concerns sexual offending against children and adults and firesetting. His research draws on theory and methods across forensic psychology, social psychology, cognitive psychology and social cognition, employing approaches including reaction time measures, eye-movements, brain stimulation, questionnaires, and qualitative methods to understand criminogenic psychological factors such as problematic sexual interest, cognitive distortions, maladaptive coping, and the psychological consequences of childhood adversity.

Analysis of Dr. Ó Ciardha's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on understanding sexual offending and firesetting through innovative assessment methods. His work frequently employs physiological measures like pupillometry to assess sexual interest, examines cognitive distortions in offenders, and evaluates treatment approaches. Recent work has expanded into areas including online communities (incel phenomenon), dark web analysis, and theory of mind deficits in offenders. His research demonstrates an interdisciplinary approach combining forensic, cognitive, and clinical psychology perspectives.

Dr. Ó Ciardha serves as associate editor for the journals Sexual Abuse and Psychology, Crime & Law and reviews for over 20 other journals. He is a member of the research committee of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA). His editorial work represents significant recognition of his expertise in the field of forensic psychology and sexual offending.

Dr. Ó Ciardha actively supervises PhD students, with current research focusing on topics including childhood adversity and sexual behavior, implicit theories in sexual offending, theory of mind in child sexual abuse, and cognitive schemas in sexual assault cases. His grant history includes projects funded by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Cumbria (evaluating polygraph use for managing sexual offenders) and the National Organisation for the Treatment of Abusers (comparing indirect measures of sexual interest). These grants demonstrate his ability to secure external research funding for applied forensic psychology projects.

Dr. Ó Ciardha leads research within the Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychology (CORE-FP) at the University of Kent. His lab employs diverse methodologies including reaction time measures, eye-tracking, pupillometry, and qualitative approaches to investigate criminogenic factors. His team collaborates with researchers internationally and works closely with practitioners in the field to ensure research has practical applications for assessment and treatment of offenders.