Powerful Perpetrators

ERC/UKRI project led by Dr Natasha Mulvihill, University of Bristol, UK.

Publication List

As of Autumn 2026, we are organising our data, ready for analysis and write up (see the Project Updates page). The findings will be published from mid-2027 and into 2028.

Stage 1 Outputs
    Project Reports
  • Yapp, E., Birdsall, N., Mulvihill, N., and Richards, H. 2024. Doctors and sexual misconduct: A summary of the literature. Bristol, UK: University of Bristol. View here
  • Richards, H., Yapp, E., Mulvihill, N., and Birdsall, N. 2024. The legal profession and sexual misconduct: A summary of the literature. Bristol, UK: University of Bristol. View here
  • Richards, H., Yapp, E., Mulvihill, N., and Birdsall, N. 2024. The military and sexual misconduct: A summary of the literature. Bristol, UK: University of Bristol. View here
  • Birdsall, N., Mulvihill, N., Richards, H., and Yapp, E. 2024. The police and sexual misconduct: A summary of the literature. Bristol, UK: University of Bristol. View here
  • Mulvihill, N., Richards, H., Yapp, E., and Birdsall, N. 2024. Politicians and sexual misconduct: A summary of the literature. Bristol, UK: University of Bristol. View here
  • Mulvihill, N., Richards, H., Yapp, E., and Birdsall, N. 2024. Religious leaders and sexual misconduct: A summary of the literature. Bristol, UK: University of Bristol. View here
  • Richards, H., Yapp, E., Birdsall, N., and Mulvihill, N., 2024. Professionals (general) and sexual misconduct: A summary of the literature. Bristol, UK: University of Bristol. View here
    • Interactive Tools
    • To view the interactive literature summary report, click here.
    • To view the interactive existing methods report, click here.
Data Collection Tracker

Data Collection Tracker Application

Peer Reviewed Publications

    Journal Articles:

  • Birdsall, N., Mulvihill, N., Yapp, E., and Richards, H.K. 2025. “Sexual corruption: recognising the “abuse of power” in professional sexual misconduct”, Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice. View here

    • Book Chapters:

  • Mulvihill, N., Birdsall, N., Richards, H.K., and Yapp, E. In preparation. Coercive authority and institutional harm: professionals who perpetrate sexual violence and abuse. The Routledge Handbook of Gender and Violence, 2nd ed., edited by Nancy Lombard.
Conferences
  • Richards, H.K., Birdsall, N., Yapp, E., Mulvihill, N. 2025. Investigating their own: A comparison of the regulatory and administrative responses to sexual misconduct in UK police forces and the military. International Studies Association Conference 2025, 2 March, Chicago, USA.
  • Yapp, E., Birdsall, N., Richards, H.K., Mulvihill, N. 2024. Introducing the “Powerful Perpetrators” project: Regulating sexual misconduct amongst trusted professionals. Professional Standards Authority Research Conference, 17 October, London, UK.
  • Yapp, E., Richards, H.K., Birdsall, N., Mulvihill, N. 2024. Beyond “bad apples”: The nature and extent of sexual misconduct in medicine. Medical Sociology Conference 2024, 13 September, Warwick, UK.
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