Research Fellow

I am a social psychologist with an interest in promoting the voices, rights and experiences of children and young people who are often excluded or overlooked in research. I am particularly interested in doing participatory research to ensure changes in policy and practice are meaningful to the needs of those most affected.

I am also interested in exploring the interactional ways in which children and young people are supported to talk about their experiences, and in looking at how categories are used in everyday life to describe children and young people and how these categories impact on their identity and sense of self.

I joined the University of Bedfordshire in September 2019 and am currently working on two projects: the ‘Young Researchers Advisory Panel’ (YRAP) and an evaluation of a 'YMCA WiSE’ project. The YRAP is funded by the Samworth Foundation’s Young Voices fund, which aims to promote the safe and ethical involvement of young people in practice, policy and applied research. The 'YMCA WiSE' project is funded by the Big Lottery, designed and delivered by WiSE staff and young people to raise awareness and reduce the risks of child sexual exploitation for children and young people.

Prior to joining the University of Bedfordshire, I worked at Coventry University on a number of projects that focused on the experiences of vulnerable children, young people and adults to improve support needs. Prior to this, I worked as a residential care home support worker for looked after children, a young offender mentor, and ChildLine volunteer.

Other References

• Twitter @drlouisebradley
• Research Gate profile

Qualifications

• PhD Social Psychology – Loughborough University, 2015 - ‘An interactional analysis of support and ‘self-work’ during interventions for children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties’
• BSc Hons Social Psychology - Loughborough University, 2011
• Level 2 Award in Counselling skills for working with children, 2018

Research Interests

• Promoting children and young people’s participation in research
• Child sexual abuse, exploitation and violence
• Trauma-informed participation and practice
• Learning difficulties/needs
• Looked after children and young people
• Conversation analysis
• Discursive psychology

Projects

• Young Researchers Advisory Panel (YRAP)
• YMCA WiSE peer preventative education programme

Publications

• Bradley, L., Franklin, A., & Brady, G. (in prep). A discursive analysis exploring the use of victim blaming language adopted by young people who have experienced sexual abuse. British Journal of Social Work.
• Bradley, L., Cassidy, S., Shaw. R., Baron-Cohen, S. (in prep). Experiences of camouflaging among autistic adults. Autism in Adulthood.
• Franklin, A., Brady, G., & Bradley, L. (2020). The medicalisation of disabled children and young people in child sexual abuse: Impacts on prevention, identification, response and recovery in the UK. Global Studies of Childhood.
• Franklin, A., Bradley, L., & Brady, G. (2019). The views of young people with learning needs or care experience on the effectiveness of child abuse services. The Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse.
• Cassidy, S., Bradley, L., Shaw, R., Baron-Cohen, S. (2019). Measurement properties of the suicidal behaviour questionnaire – Revised in autistic adults. The British Journal of Psychiatry.
• Au-Yeung., Bradley, L., Robertson, A. E., Shaw, R., & Baron-Cohen, S., Cassidy, S. (2018). Experience of mental health diagnosis and perceived misdiagnosis in autistic, possibly autistic and non-autistic adults.
• Camm-Crosbie, Cassidy, S., Bradley, L., Shaw, R., Baron-Cohen, S. (2018). “People like me don’t get support’: Autistic adults’ experiences of support and treatment for mental health difficulties, self-injury and suicidality.
• Cassidy, S., Bradley, L., Shaw, R., & Baron-Cohen, S. (2018). ‘Risk markers for suicidality in autistic adults. Molecular Autism.
• Cassidy, S., & Bradley, L., Bowen, E., Wigham, S., & Rodgers, J. (2018). ‘‘Measurement properties of tools used to assess suicidality in adults with and without Autism Spectrum Conditions: A systematic review’. Clinical Psychology Review.
• Cassidy, S., & Bradley, L., Bowen, E., Wigham, S., & Rodgers, J. (2018). ‘Measurement properties of tools used to assess depression in adults with and without Autism Spectrum Conditions: A systematic review’. Autism Research.
• Carroll, J., Bradley, L., Crawford, H., Hannant, O., Johnson, H., & Thompson, A., (2017). SEN support: A rapid evidence assessment. Department for Education: London,
• Johnson, H., Carroll, J. and Bradley, L. (2017) SEN Support: A Survey of Schools and Colleges. Department for Education: London
• Brown, S., Brady, G., Franklin, A., Bradley, L., Kerrigan, N., Sealey, C. (2016). ‘Child sexual abuse and exploitation: Understanding
• Bradley, L., and Butler, C.W. ‘An interactional analysis of one-to-one pastoral care delivery within a primary school’. Pastoral Care in Education.
• Bradley, L. and Butler, C.W. (2015) ‘Managing and Normalising Emotions and Behaviour: A Conversation Analytic Study of ADHD Coaching’. In The Palgrave Handbook of Child Mental Health. Ed. By Lester, J.N., and O’Reilly, M. UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 480-499.

Contact Details

T: +44 (0)7701 293548
E: louise.bradley@beds.ac.uk