Sarah Soppitt

Sarah Soppitt is an Associate Professor in Criminology at Northumbria University, holding roles including Associate Pro Vice Chancellor for Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Arts, Design and Social Sciences. Her work focuses on social enterprise, cooperatives, and desistance strategies for individuals with criminal histories. She leads interdisciplinary research on serious youth violence, child exploitation, and community-based interventions. Key partnerships include collaborations with Police, Probation, and third-sector organizations, such as the Northumbria Police partnership and the Safer Children Network (NE).

Education: MA Criminology (1994), BSc Applied Social Science (1991), Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2005).

Research interests span juvenile justice policy, youth violence prevention, and criminal justice system reform. Her projects address territorialism, threat assessments for minors, and community safety strategies. Recent work includes evaluations of violence prevention programs and digital methodologies for online safety.

Scientific contributions include foundational studies on child-first approaches to serious youth violence and innovative design-led solutions for safe spaces. Funded initiatives include a British Academy project on desistance and Durham PCC grants for community support.