Dr Alleyne is a senior lecturer in forensic psychology at the University of Kent and a forensic psychology trainee at Kent Forensic Psychiatry Services (Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust). She conducts research within the areas of forensic and social psychology. Dr Alleyne’s theoretical and empirical work examines the social, psychological, and behavioural factors that explain various types of aggressive behaviour. For example, her current research explores why adults engage in animal cruelty with the aim of identifying the key treatment needs for prevention and intervention purposes. She is particularly interested in how human-human versus human-animal empathy relate to animal abuse specifically and interpersonal violence more broadly. Dr Alleyne pursues research lines that investigate how other types of regulatory processes (e.g., emotion regulation, moral disengagement) facilitate offending behaviour. Other research interests include the psychological factors that distinguish gang youth from non-gang youth (especially when coming from similar social/environmental backgrounds) and the treatment needs of female firesetters.

Dr Alleyne welcomes prospective doctoral students to get in touch if they are interested in her research areas or other related topics in forensic psychology.

Email: E.K.A.Alleyne@kent.ac.uk

Key publications

  • Alleyne, E., & Parfitt, C. (in press). Adult-perpetrated animal abuse: A systematic review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse. doi:10.1177/1524838017708785
  • Alleyne, E., Gannon, T.A., Mozova, K., Page, T., & Ó Ciardha, C. (2016). Female firesetters: Gender associated psychological and psychopathological features. Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes, 79, 364-378. doi:10.1080/00332747.2016.1185892
  • Parfitt, C., & Alleyne, E. (2016). ‘Taking it out on the dog’: Psychological and behavioral correlates of animal abuse proclivity. Society & Animals, 24, 1-16. doi:10.1163/15685306-12341387
  • Alleyne, E., Tilston, L., Parfitt, C., & Butcher, R. (2015). Adult-perpetrated animal abuse: Development of a proclivity scale. Psychology, Crime & Law, 21, 570-588. doi: 10.1080/1068316X.2014.999064