Dr Fay Sweeting - Bournemouth University Staff Profile Pages

Biography

Biography

Prior to joining academia, I was a Dorset Police officer (2004-2021). In 2017, I completed the MSc in investigative forensic psychology at BU and stayed on to complete a funded PhD.

My main research area concerns sexual misconduct within the police - inclusive of abuse of position for a sexual purpose as well as internal sexism, bullying and misogyny. I am also developing a risk assessment tool to assist the police in identifying officers who are engaging in the above mentioned behaviours.

I am currently a member of two National Police Chief Council working groups (abuse of position and internal sexual misconduct) and the HMIC academic research group.

In addition to my main interests, I also conduct research into the rare and complex auto-immune condition of Behçet's disease. I am also supervising post-graduate students in the areas of rape myths, post natal depression and emotions in the neuro-diverse.

Current projects:

National survey on police sexism and misogyny

Pilot psychometric testing of police recruits...

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Journal Articles

Wheeler, A., Farrington, S., Sweeting, F., Brown, A. and Mayers, A., 2024. Perceived Pressures and Mental Health of Breastfeeding Mothers: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. Healthcare (Switzerland), 12 (17).
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Mulvihill, N. and Sweeting, F., 2024. Sexual and violent police perpetrators: the institutional response to reporting victims. Policing and Society.
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Bubbear Rogers, E. and Sweeting, F., 2024. Exploring police employees' attitudes and behaviours as a bystander towards police sexual misconduct. Policing (Oxford), 18.
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Sweeting, F. and Cole, T., 2023. Sexual Misconduct in Police Recruits as identified by Police Trainers. Police Journal, 96 (2), 245-266.
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Davis, H., Lawrence, S., Wilson, E., Sweeting, F. and Poate-Joyner, A., 2023. ‘No one likes a grass’ Female police officers’ experience of workplace sexual harassment: A qualitative study. International Journal of Police Science and Management, 25 (2), 183-195.
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Sweeting, F. and Cole, T., 2023. The sharks and the fishermen: An exploratory content analysis of police officers who abused their positions for a sexual purpose. International Journal of Police Science & Management.
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Sweeting, F. and Cole, T., 2023. “We do employ some morons”: police trainers' opinions on recruitment procedures. Policing and Society: an international journal of research and policy.
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Sweeting, F., Callon, Z. and Firth, E., 2023. How can rape investigations be enhanced? Consideration of attrition in rape cases: Second follow-up study. Psychology of Women and Equalities Section Review, 5 (2).
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Sweeting, F., Cole, T. and Hills, P., 2022. Is the blue wall of silence a fallacy in cases of police sexual misconduct? International Journal of Police Science and Management, 24 (3), 285-297.
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Sweeting, F. and Arden-Close, E., 2022. The impact of Behçet’s disease on intimate relationships in women: A qualitative study. Chronic Illness, 18 (2), 255-267.
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Sweeting, F., Arabaci-Hills, P. and Cole, T., 2021. Outcomes of Police Sexual Misconduct in the UK. Policing (Oxford), 15 (2), 1339-1351.
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Books

Polkinghorne, M. et al., 2023. Fusion Learning Conference 2023 - Proceedings. Poole, Dorset, UK, BH12 5BB: Bournemouth University.
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Conferences

Arden-Close, E., Teixeira, M.S. and Sweeting, F., 2024. EXPERIENCES OF PATIENTS WITH BEHCET'S DISEASE IN RELATION TO COVID-19 VACCINES: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS. PSYCHOSOMATIC MEDICINE, 86 (5), A77.
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Theses

Sweeting, F., 2021. Sexual misconduct in police officers: development of a risk assessment tool for the early identification of police officers and staff who abuse their positions for a sexual purpose. PhD Thesis. Bournemouth University, Faculty of Science and Technology.
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Others

Sweeting, F.R. and Cole, T., 2023. “We do employ some morons”: police trainers' opinions on recruitment procedures. Published.
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Conference Presentations

Conference Presentations

Tackling VAWG Together Conference, 06 Dec 2023, Tidworth, Wiltshire
Now's the time - Learning Event, 26 May 2023, Birmingham
Police Misconduct, 16 May 2023, London
Somerset VAWG day, 15 May 2023, Bridgewater, Somerset
College of Policing: VAWG conference, 15 May 2023, Ryton
Avon & Somerset Police Abuse of Position Conference, 15 Mar 2023, Avon and Somerset Police HQ
Sexual harassment in the workplace, 24 Jan 2023, Manchester
Professional Standards and Ethics Conference 2022, 21 Nov 2022, Stratford Upon Avon
Garda Commissioners Conference, 08 Nov 2022, Tipperary
Shining a light on betrayal, 26 Jul 2022, Belfast
Abuse of position for a sexual purpose: keeping boundaries professional, 29 Oct 2021, Durham

Broadcast Interviews

Broadcast Interview

Women in the police: the inside story
Dispatches, Abuse of position for a sexual purpose in the police, Ellie, F, 11 Oct 2021. https://www.channel4.com/programmes/cops-on-trial-dispatches
Manifesto For Change: Preventing Male Violence in Policing:, We will explore perpetrators, attractiveness of policing to both predatory and opportunistic perpetrators, interventions, and the evidence base of what works, Fish, S, 22 Feb 2021. https://policing.tv/videos/preventing-male-violence-in-policing-ep3-insight-into-police-perpetrators/