Dr Claire Meehan

Biography

I am a Lecturer in Criminology and joined the Disciplinary Area of Sociology and Criminology in February 2015. I am from Northern Ireland and come to the University of Auckland after working as a Lecturer in Criminology in London.

My research is focused around four main areas:

• The relationship between the internet and young people's drug use
• Young people’s views on sexting
• Young people’s views on pornography
• Young people's views on pleasure and empowerment

I am currently involved in the following projects:

• Young New Zealanders and their digital lives: Youth attitudes towards sexting and pornography
• Incorporating social media into Higher Education pedagogy
• 'Sexy not Sexist': Young people's exploration of pleasure and empowerment
• 'Secondary sexting' versus 'revenge porn': an analysis of public perceptions of the non-consensual sharing of intimate images in New Zealand

Research | Current

• Young New Zealanders and their digital lives: Youth attitudes towards sexting and pornography
• Incorporating social media into Higher Education pedagogy
• 'Sexy not Sexist': Young people's exploration of pleasure and empowerment
• 'Secondary sexting' versus 'revenge porn': an analysis of public perceptions of the non-consensual sharing of intimate images in New Zealand

Teaching | Current

CRIM 204 Special Topic: Critical Studies in Policing

CRIM 304 Special Topic: Key Issues in Restorative Justice

CRIM 710 Cybercrime

CRIM 205 Special Topic: Crime, Media and Society

CRIM 204 Special Topic: Critical Studies in Policing

This paper explores policing in New Zealand and beyond, including its legal and theoretical underpinnings. We critically examine media representations of the police, policing and inequality; police culture, power and accountability; the effects of human rights claims on policing methods and emerging threats to policing both locally and globally.

CRIM 304 Special Topic: Key Issues in Restorative Justice

This paper provides a critical analysis of the restorative justice process as a response to offender behaviour, which aids understanding of its place within the wider criminal justice system. A variety of perspectives on restorative justice are considered, as well as the various practices associated with it, and its effectiveness according to different stakeholders.

CRIM 710 Cybercrime

This paper provides an exploration of cybercrime and its economic and social impact. The course encourages critical thinking, exploring a range of key theoretical perspectives in criminal justice and their application to cybercrime. It analyses how the Internet may promote criminal behaviour and contribute to the globalisation of crime. In addition, it outlines the challenges of policing cybercrime, evaluating current approaches.

CRIM 205 Special Topic: Crime, Media and Society

The relationship between crime and the media is complex and contradictory. This course investigates this relationship by encouraging students to develop an understanding of how the media help to influence the public views of crime and criminalisation. It does this by focusing on media portrayals of crime and criminal behaviour, media effects and theories of media and communication. 

Postgraduate supervision

I welcome enquires from students interested in:

• Pornography
• Sexting
• Drug use/ harm reduction

Distinctions/Honours

2017 Early Career Teaching Excellence Award

Responsibilities

Undergraduate Advisor for Criminology 

Areas of expertise

• Young people's drug use
• Harm reduction
• Drug education
• Sexting
• Pornography

Committees/Professional groups/Services

• Netsafe, New Zealand
• The Centre for Addiction Research, University of Auckland
• Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology
• International Harm Reduction Association
• British Society of Criminology
• UK Harm Reduction Association
• European Society for Social Drug Research