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Dr Laura Castillo Eito

Lecturer in Psychology

I am a Psychologist with work experience in an adult prison and a young offender institution. My research interests focus on the prevention and reduction of violence and offending in adolescents.

Biography

I came to University of Gloucestershire in September 2020, and in 2023 I became the Academic Course Leader for BSc (Hons) Criminology and Psychology. I started my journey in Spain, where I completed a BSc in Psychology and a MSc in Applied Social Psychology.

After that, I moved to the UK, where I did a PhD on the prevention of aggressive behaviour in adolescents at the University of Sheffield while working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. I am interested in the prevention of aggression and crime and in the rehabilitation of offenders.

Qualifications

  • BSc: Psychology, Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain, 2012
  • MSc: Psychological Interventions in the Social Environment, Universitat de Valencia, Spain, 2015
  • PhD: Psychology, University of Sheffield, UK, 2021
  • PGCert: Academic Practice, University of Gloucestershire, UK, 2022
  • Academic Professional Apprenticeship, Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, UK, 2023

Accreditation

Higher Education Academy (Fellow)

Membership of professional bodies

  • European Association for Research on Adolescence (EARA)
  • International Society for Research on Aggression (ISRA)
  • European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR)

Teaching & Research

Teaching

I teach in different modules across the BSc (Hons) Criminology and Psychology, BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology and MSc.

I am module tutor of the following modules:

  • NS5118 – Understanding the Criminal Mind
  • NS5151 – Risk and Protective Factors in Development
  • NS6108 – Working in Forensic Settings
  • NS6115 – Serious Crime Analysis and Behavioural Investigative Advice

I also teach sessions on social psychology, adolescent development, assessment and rehabilitation of offenders and research methods on other modules at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Research

As part of my role as a trainee Psychologist, I conducted research on the effects of social status within a prison setting in the behaviour within the prison. I also conducted a pilot study on the effectiveness of motivational interviewing with young offenders and of a group-based programme to prevent intimate partner violence among that population.

For my PhD, I applied the taxonomy of behaviour change techniques to aggression in adolescents. I conducted a meta-analysis to identify the most effective techniques to reduce aggression in this population and I conducted two randomised controlled trials to test the most effective techniques.

I was part of the team leading the Erasmus+ project Life Skills 4 Life After Prison: Sowing the Seeds of Social Inclusion for Young Offenders (Skills4Life). As part of this project, we developed a holistic education program to prepare young people in custody for release.

Currently, I am conducting a research project to get a better understanding of anger in adolescence.