Research Interests

My current research examines various developmental pathways that street gang members may find themselves on (e.g. to core membership, peripheral membership, or to leaving the gang), by assessing the stable (e.g. school success/failure, neighborhood of origin, etc.) and dynamic (e.g. attitudes to authority, perception of legitimate opportunities, etc.) risk and protective factors associated with gang membership, as well as gang members' thoughts and feelings concerning their membership. I am also interested in public and professional (e.g. the police and courts) reactions to crime.

Thesis Title

Understanding gang membership: Developing theory and applications

Supervisor

Dr Jane Wood

Funding

Medway Studentship

Publications

Wood, J., Moir, A. & James, M. (2009). Prisoners' gang-related activity: the importance of bullying and moral disengagement. Psychology Crime and Law, 15 (6), 569-81.

Wood, J., Williams, G. & James, M. (2010). Incapacitation and imprisonment: Prisoners' involvement in community-based crime. Psychology, Crime and Law, 16 (7), 601-15.

Conference Presentations

James, M., Wood, J. & Bakali, H. (2010, June). Vigilantism: Exploring influential mechanisms. Paper presented at the Annual BPS Division of Forensic Psychology Conference 2010, held at the University of Kent.

James, M. & Wood, J. (2010, June). Emotions in the Courtroom. Paper presented at the Annual BPS Division of Forensic Psychology Conference 2010, held at the University of Kent.

Teaching Commitments

SP310 Introduction to Psychology
SP621 Applied Social Psychology
SP626 Psychology of Group Behaviour

Professional Memberships

Graduate Member of the British Psychological Society

School of Psychology
Keynes College
University of Kent
Canterbury, Kent
CT2 7NP
United Kingdom

Tel. +44 (0)1227 824625
Fax. +44 (0)1227 823382
Email: Mark James

Office: Keynes E1.12