معرفی
Dr Siobhan Weare serves as Reader in Law at Lancaster University's School of Law, where she holds the strategic role of Director of Engagement and Impact. Her academic career centers on criminal law and justice with specialized focus on gendered violence, particularly socio-legal responses to male survivors of sexual violence and women who commit serious offences. Currently leading a major ESRC-funded project (2023-2026) examining jury decision-making in sexual abuse cases involving male victims, she maintains active research leadership while teaching core legal curriculum.
Her research program critically examines intersections of gender, crime, and legal systems through three interconnected pillars: sexual violence against men (including pioneering work on 'forced-to-penetrate' scenarios), female-perpetrated serious offences, and systemic responses within criminal justice frameworks. This work synthesizes criminological theory, gender studies, and empirical legal research to address critical gaps in understanding underreported violence and evidentiary challenges. Her methodological approach combines qualitative interviews with large-scale quantitative studies, consistently prioritizing survivor perspectives and policy relevance.
Recent publications reveal a concentrated research trajectory toward developing measurement tools for sexual violence myths (MRMS-SV, FTP-MAS) and analyzing evidentiary practices in rape trials. These works collectively challenge gendered assumptions in legal processes while establishing new frameworks for understanding male victimization. Her scholarship demonstrates increasing policy impact through direct engagement with parliamentary committees and criminal justice institutions.
Scientific recognition includes:
- Research Impact Award - Lancaster University Staff Awards 2021
Dr Weare actively supervises doctoral research through formal PhD supervision of Davelle Heath Jr and Stacey Heed, focusing on criminal law, gendered violence, and sexual offences. Her research program is sustained by substantial competitive grants including an ESRC project (£438,635) on jury decision-making, a Covid-19 Rapid Response Fund award (£213,785) for the JiCSAV project, and British Academy funding (£9,987) for foundational 'forced-to-penetrate' research. These grants support interdisciplinary collaboration with institutions like Loughborough University and engagement with criminal justice stakeholders.
She contributes to the Centre for Child and Family Justice Research and Centre for Crime, Law and Justice, where her work informs collaborative projects on vulnerable witnesses and systemic reform. Her policy influence extends to evidence submissions for the Public Accounts Committee, Home Affairs Committee, and Law Commission, alongside active participation in Home Office strategy development for violence against women and girls initiatives.
