Dr Rebecca Oswald

Assistant Professor

Department: Social Sciences

Rebecca is an Assistant Professor in Criminology and Sociology in the department of Social Sciences. She currently teaches on undergraduate Criminology modules and on the Northumbria Police Constable Degree Apprenticeship (PCDA) and Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP) programs. She is also Programme Lead of Northumbria PCDA Level 6. Rebecca's research interests lie in the areas of youth crime, youth justice, desistance from offending and the role of voluntary sector organisations working with criminalised populations.

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Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Rebecca's research is currently focused on two areas. Firstly, investigating Work Integration Social Enterprise and their role in supporting criminalised individuals desist from crime. Secondly, to greater understand the changing picture of serious youth violence in the Northeast of England and the interventions and best practices that can support young people impacted by violence and child criminal exploitation.

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
A Vision for Lasting Change: Shaping Durham and Darlington's Support for Young People, Soppitt, S., Walker, S., Oswald, R., Cosgrove, F. 1 Mar 2025
The role of ‘place’ in understanding the drivers of serious youth violence: an examination of identity, territorialism, and community, Walker, S., Oswald, R., Soppitt, S. 14 Jun 2025, In: Criminology and Criminal Justice
The Role of Work Integration Social Enterprise in Overcoming Barriers to Sustained Employment and Desistance for Criminalized Individuals, Oswald, R. 13 Jun 2025, In: British Journal of Criminology
Improving the Hope of Young People Impacted by Serious Violence and Child Criminal Exploitation: Full Report May 2024, Oswald, R., Soppitt, S., Walker, S., Irving, A. 17 May 2024
“Improving the Hope of Young People impacted by Serious Violence and Child Criminal Exploitation”. Interim Report April 2023, Oswald, R., Walker, S., Soppitt, S., Irving, A. 4 Jun 2024
‘Safe spaces and places’: the value of design-led methodologies in developing online narratives, Oswald, R., Soppitt, S., Spencer, N., Powell, L., Richardson, C., Coombs, S. 3 May 2024, In: International Journal of Social Research Methodology
The role of environmental work in supporting child desistance, Oswald, R. 29 May 2024, In: Safer Communities
The role of Work Integrated Social Enterprise (WISE) in supporting employment and desistance for criminalised individuals: Preliminary research findings, Oswald, R. 19 Apr 2024
Exploring how employment schemes for young offenders aid desistance from crime, Oswald, R. 1 Mar 2023, In: Probation Journal
Exploring Young Offenders’ Conceptions of Meaningful Employment, Oswald, R. 1 Mar 2023, In: Trends in Psychology