Dr Jo Neale

Senior Research Fellow, and Coordinator for Making Research Count

Jo Neale

As Coordinator for Making Research Count (MRC) at the University of Bedfordshire, I work with Gemma Wilson, MRC Events Organiser, and in collaboration with MRC King's College London, to facilitate a programme of conferences and practice development events on topical issues for social work and social care.

We provide an enquiry/sign-posting service for our members, and produce a quarterly newsletter detailing MRC's programme of events and other research-related news items.

For further information on MRC Bedfordshire's activities, or to download the latest issue of our newsletter, visit www.beds.ac.uk/mrc

Qualifications

PhD, University of Bedfordshire
MSc (Dist) Psychology and Culture, University of Bedfordshire
BA (Hons) Psychology, University of Bedfordshire

Research Interests

I have worked on projects across a wide range of disciplines (education, health, social care), using both quantitative and qualitative methods. However, I am particularly interested in the relationship between psychology and 'culture' (i.e. how one's attitudes and behaviours are influenced by 'culture', and vice versa). My own research has explored this theme in relation to violence against women.

My (2017) PhD thesis, 'The Beam and Shadow of the Spotlight: Visibility and Invisibility in Women's Experiences of Domestic Violence and Abuse', explores the processes by which heterosexual women enter, endure and leave abusive relationships. Its particular focus is on the kinds of control mechanisms available to perpetrators of domestic violence and abuse, and the ways in which their use of those mechanisms shapes women’s experiences. Access my thesis here

Recent Publications

Neale, J. (2023). Identity Erasure: Women’s Experiences of Living with Domestic Violence and Abuse. Journal of Gender-Based Violence, 7 (2), 271-287. Download [PDF]
Neale, J. and Hodges, K. (2020). "My head was like a washing machine on spin": (Improving) women's experiences of accessing support. Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence, 5 (3). Available at: digitalcommons.uri.edu/dignity/vol5/iss3/3
Neale, J. (2018). Abused Women's Perceptions of Professionals' Responses: Valued Support, or Collusion With Perpetrator? Journal of Gender-Based Violence, 2 (3), 411-427. Download [PDF]
Conrad, M, Neale, J. and Charles, A. (2011). What is my Avatar? – Who is my Avatar? The Avatar as a Device to Achieve a Goal: Perceptions and Implications. In A. Peachey and M. Childs (Eds.) 'Reinventing Ourselves: Contemporary Concepts of Identity in Virtual Worlds'. London: Springer. Download [PDF]
Neale, J. and Worrell, M. (2010). Visibility, Responsibility and Identity in Domestic Murder-Suicide. Safe, Women's Aid Federation of England Domestic Abuse Quarterly, Spring 2010 issue, p22-25. Download [PDF]
Conrad, M, Neale, J. and Charles, A. (2010). This is my Body: The Uses and Effects of the Avatar in the Virtual World. International Journal for Infonomics (IJI), Volume 3, Issue 4.
Conrad, M., Neale, J., and Charles, A. (2010). Of Mice or Men? – The Avatar in the Virtualscape. Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Society (i-Society 2010), London, UK.
Kelly, A., Neale, J. and Rollings, R. (2010). Barriers to extended nurse prescribing among practice nurses. Community Practitioner, 83 (1), 21-24. Download [PDF]
Neale, J. and Galvani, S. (2009). Groundwork to Inform the Development of Luton's 2009-2012 Domestic Abuse Strategy. Luton's Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership. Download [PDF]
Neale, J., Worrell, M. and Randhawa, G. (2009). Breaking down barriers to accessing mental health services: A qualitative study among young South Asian and African Caribbean Communities in Luton. Journal of Public Mental Health, 8 (2), 15-25. Download [PDF]

Recent Conference Presentations

2022 'A Feminist Poststructuralist Perspective on Male to Female Domestic Violence and Abuse'. British Psychological Society’s Psychology of Women and Equalities Section Conference, Windsor, UK.
2021 ''My Head Was Like a Washing Machine on Spin': Women's Experiences of Accessing Support'. British Psychological Society’s Psychology of Women and Equalities Section Conference. Online. Download slides [PDF]. Watch video
2021 'The Cultural Scaffolding of Domestic Violence and Abuse'. European Conference on Domestic Violence. Online. Download slides [PDF]. Watch video
2021 'Interrogating 'Truths' About Domestic Violence and Abuse: Unpacking Myths and Stereotypes'. British Association of Social Workers (BASW). Online. Download slides [PDF]. Watch video
2021 'Women's Experiences of Entering, and Enduring, Abusive Relationships'. London Borough of Tower Hamlets Domestic Violence and Abuse Conference, Online. Download slides [PDF]. Watch video
2020 'Remote Control: Post-Separation Domestic Abuse'. European Network on Gender and Violence Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark. Conference cancelled.
2020 '‘My Head Was Like a Washing Machine on Spin’: Women’s Experiences of Accessing Support'. British Psychological Society’s Psychology of Women and Equalities Section Conference, Windsor, UK. Conference cancelled.
2019 ''Identity Theft': Living With Domestic Abuse'. European Conference on Domestic Violence, Oslo, Norway. Download slides [PDF]
2019 'Joining the Dots: Men’s (Ab)use of Systems of Justice in the War Against Women. British Psychological Society’s Psychology of Women Section Conference, Windsor, UK. Download slides [PDF] Watch video
2019 'The Cultural Scaffolding of Domestic Violence and Abuse'. British Society of Criminology Conference, Lincoln, UK. Download slides [PDF]
2018 'Remote Control: Post-Separation Domestic Abuse'. University of West London Conference, Mapping the Landscape of Violence Against Women and Girls, London, UK.
2018 'Some Women Seem to Go Looking For Violent Men': The Cultural Scaffolding of Domestic Violence and Abuse. British Psychological Society’s Psychology of Women Section Conference, Windsor, UK. Download slides [PDF]
2018 Interrogating ‘Truths’ About Domestic Violence and Abuse: Unpacking Myths and Stereotypes. Central Bedfordshire Council, Chicksands.
2017 Remote Control: Post-Separation Domestic Abuse. British Psychological Society’s Psychology of Women Section Conference, Windsor, UK. Download slides [PDF] Watch video
2016 Making Sense of Domestic Abuse: Individual Deficit, or 'Dark Tetrad' Personality? British Psychological Society’s Psychology of Women Section Conference, Windsor, UK. Download slides [PDF]
2015 The Beam, and Shadows, of the Spotlight: Visibility and Invisibility in Women’s Accounts of Abusive Relationships. European Conference on Domestic Violence, Queen’s University, Belfast, NI. Download slides [PDF]
2015 ‘Identity Theft’: Living With Domestic Abuse. British Psychological Society’s Psychology of Women Section Conference, Windsor, UK. Download slides [PDF]
2015 Professionals’ Responses to Women in Abusive Relationships: Valued Support, or Collusion With Perpetrators? University of Northampton, ‘Violence: Children and Families’ Conference, Northampton, UK. Download slides [PDF]
2014 Making the Case for Victims' Meaningful Participation in the Development of Domestic Abuse Services. British Psychological Society’s Psychology of Women Section Conference, Windsor, UK. Download slides [PDF]
2013 Professionals' Responses to Women in Abusive Relationships: Valued Support, or Collusion with Perpetrators? British Psychological Society's Psychology of Women Conference, Windsor, UK. Download slides [PDF]
2012 The Beam, and Shadows, of the Spotlight: Visibility and Invisibility in Women's Accounts of Abusive Relationships. British Psychological Society's Psychology of Women Conference, Windsor, UK. Download slides [PDF]
2007 The Interplay Between Abuse, Culture and Identity: Domestic Violence and 'Visibility'. Evidence-Based Practice Inter-professional Learning Conference, Liverpool John Moores University. Download slides [PDF]