Vanessa Bettinson is a Professor of Law and Vice Chancellor Research Fellow at the Northumbria School of Law, Northumbria University. Her work focuses on domestic violence and abuse within criminal law frameworks, with a particular emphasis on coercive control, sentencing reforms, and interdisciplinary collaboration. She has held previous academic positions at De Montfort University and has led projects funded by entities like the Home Office and Ministry of Housing. Key areas of research include AI applications in identifying perpetrators, public perceptions of self-defense in domestic abuse cases, and children's experiences within the criminal justice system. Educations: Not explicitly listed in text Her research interests span socio-legal approaches to domestic abuse, vulnerability studies, and legal policy reform. Recent projects include analyzing coercive control offences across jurisdictions and exploring sentencing mitigation for women affected by abuse. She co-leads Northumbria's Gender, Violence and Abuse Interdisciplinary Research Theme. Recent publications examine self-defence frameworks for abuse survivors, professional responses to coercive control, and comparative analyses of domestic abuse legislation in Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Her work contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals focused on gender equality and justice reform. Grants: Home Office Domestic Abuse Perpetrator Fund (2021-22), Place to Call Home Project (2020-22) Her research highlights interdisciplinary collaboration with computer science, criminology, and social work teams. Current studies investigate sentencing practices for abuse-driven crimes and public attitudes toward self-defence in domestic violence contexts. No specific labs or teams are named, though her work involves partnerships with statutory and voluntary sector organizations.
