About
Research
Email: zin.derfoufi@stmarys.ac.uk
Biography
Zin Derfoufi is a lecturer in Criminology and Sociology. His research blends psychology with sociology to understand why and how people engage in serious violence, and how local communities organise to counter violence.
He is an independent advisor to various civil society and community-led groups as well as local and national policing bodies.
Research
Research profile
Zin is currently working on the following two projects.
Tackling Serious Youth Violence
Working with local government, health and policing bodies, this project aims to understand patterns of serious youth violence (such as guns or knife-related) and identify ways of tackling their root causes, including through a public health approach. Our key aim is to also empower community groups, charities and families to use their influence to help both victims and offenders of serious violence. This project is generously funded by St Mary’s University, London.
Communities-led counterterrorism
This project aims to support civic groups to understand violent extremism; global and local changes in terrorist threats; and learn from international best practice on how non-government actors challenge violent narratives. We also aim to develop an evidence base on how civil society groups across the United Kingdom are themselves self-organising to challenge violent extremism.
Research Outputs
- Derfoufi, Z. and Rights & Security International (RSI) (2022) Prevent-ing dissent: How the UK’s counterterrorism strategy is eroding democracy (London: Rights & Security International). Read here.
- Derfoufi, Z. (2020) Radicalization’s Core, Terrorism and Political Violence. Read here.
- Quinlan, T. L. & Derfoufi, Z. (2015) Counter-Terrorism Policing in Delsol, R. & Shiner, M. (eds) Stop and Search: The Anatomy of a Police Power. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Read here.