Mia Scally is currently a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology - Forensic Criminology with the Department of Criminology and Sociology.
Mia is currently programme leader for our MSc Criminology with Forensic Psychology course (2022-2023) and was previously programme leader for BA Criminology with Psychology (2016-2021) and BA Sociology with Psychology (2019-2021).
Mia takes an active role in improving the student experience. Most recently Mia has worked with CAPE, colleagues in Criminology/Sociology and students across the department to develop feedback guides and tools that are comprehensive, easy to use and will help students get the most from their assessed coursework. The feedback working group, led by Mia, developed some video guides for staff and students to support the feedback process. The feedback templates (labelled as 'gold-standard' by one of our external examiners) are now being used across the department.
Please see Learning and Teaching Interests for more.
Prior to this, Mia taught at the University of West London and was a research associate with both the Centre for Abuse and Trauma Studies (Middlesex University) and Forensic Psychological Services (Middlesex University).
Mia also has previous practical experience with Victim Support and Her Majesty's Prison Service.
Contact me
Office: WG33
Tel: 0208 411 6143
Email: m.scally@mdx.ac.uk
Twitter: @miascally
If you are a student, you can book an appointment with me here.
English, Italian
Mia teaches first year undergraduate students through to masters students, and specialises in: Intimate Partner Violence and Abuse; Victimisation; Violence against Women and Girls; Forensic Psychology.
Mia is a mixed-methods researcher with experience in quantitative, qualitative and visual methods. Mia previously module led the core MSc Criminology with Forensic Psychology research methods module, and specialises in quantitative analysis.
Mia has experience teaching a range of topics including research methods, offender rehabilitation, violence against women and children (for example, online child sexual abuse, intimate partner violence amongst young people, sexual and domestic violence and abuse) and other forensic psychological topics.
Mia comes from a psychological perspective, allowing students to widen their understanding of key criminological topics and approach topics in an interdisciplinary way. Pedagogically, Mia is a firm believer in active learning and reflective teaching, incorporating methods such as problem-based learning, flipped classrooms and other such forms in her teaching.
Mia engages with students through various extra-curricular methods on top of her teaching role, for example by running activities such as:
- Problem-Based Learning Workshop Series: Murder, Hostages and Lies is a problem-based workshop series designed to get you thinking about case studies and applying the skills you have learnt so far. It is not for the faint-hearted and you should come ready to participate and engage! All the sessions are developed to support you, but with you directing your learning first and foremost. From hostage negotiation, to profiling, to insanity - there is something for everyone. Please remember - this isn't a CPD course! It's a fun way to learn. Don't try to negotiate with hostage takers as a result of this workshop.
- Gender-Based Violence Events and Exhibitions: From art installations to interdisciplinary mock rape trials (Criminology Department, School of Law & Performing Arts Department), these events are organised to get you thinking by engaging in the conversation. To read more about last year's exhibition and the donation drive for a local refuge, see this blog post.
- Create your Future! Podcast series: In conjunction with other programme leaders in Criminolgy, we ask professionals in the field questions that students want to know the answers to! All employability related, have a listen to find out their expert tips on becoming graduate employable and landing that dream job.
- Raise your Voice! Student Blog: A space for our students to share their opinion on relevant topics. Criminology and Sociology students can submit a blog post on a topic of their choice, nlonger than 500 words, and using evidence. You can find the blog here. Email submissions to Mia (m.scally@mdx.ac.uk).
- Let's Talk: A workshop series designed to inform and discuss crucial and important topics such as intimate partner violence and abuse, sexual violence, drug taking and offending behaviour. These are discussion based and allow students a safe space to share opinions, learn from each other and become more aware.
In addition to programme leadership, Mia also takes an active role in improving the student experience. Most recently Mia has worked with CAPE, colleagues in Criminology/Sociology and students across the department to develop feedback guides and tools that are comprehensive, easy to use and will help students get the most from their assessed coursework. The feedback working group, led by Mia, developed some video guides for staff and students to support the feedback process. The feedback templates (labelled as 'gold-standard' by one of our external examiners) are now being used across the department.
Teaching topics
Mia is currently the module leader for:
CRM2277 Victimology
CRM3278 Violent Crime
CRM3282 Forensic Mental Health and Offending
CRM4619 Forensic Psychology
and previously module led:
CRM3500 Violent Crime
CRM4202 Forensic and Investigative Psychology
CRM3502 Forensic Mental Health and Offending (Maternity cover 2016-17)
CRM3580 Dissertation (2015-2021)
CRM4203 Research Strategies in Psychology (2016-2019)
Teaching Awards
2016-17: Shortlisted - Academic Staff Member of the Year (Law), MDXSU Awards
2016-17: Nominated - Most Inspiring Teacher category, MDXSU Awards
2017-18: Shortlisted - Academic Staff Member of the Year (Law), MDXSU Awards
2018-19: Nominated - Academic Staff Member of the Year (Law), MDXSU Awards
2019-20: Nominated - Academic Staff Member of the Year (Law), MDXSU Awards
2019-20: Nominated - Innovative Teaching Award category, MDXSU Awards
2020-21: Nominated - MDX Staff Awards
2021-22: Shortlisted - Academic Staff Member of the Year (Law), MDXSU Awards / Winner - Innovative Teaching Award, MDXSU Awards
Intimate partner violence and abuse, online child sexual abuse, young people and pornography, offender interventions, violence against women and girls.
Please find a short video about one of my projects here.
Scally, M. (2021, Jun 17). The illusion of justice: Mothers, IPVA and the family courts (Web log post), https://supportnotseparation.blog/2021/06/17/3401/
Scally, M. (2021, May 21). The illusion of justice: Mothers, IPVA and the family courts (Web log post), https://mdxminds.com/2021/05/21/the-illusion-of-justice-mothers-ipva-and-the-family-courts/
Scally, M., & Graham, N. (2020, Jan 8). 16 days of gender-based violence: The women paying the ultimate price of men's violence (Web log post), https://mdxminds.com/2020/01/08/16days-of-gender-based-violence-the-women-paying-the-ultimate-price-of-mens-violence/
Scally, M., Adler, J. R., & Horvath, M. A. H. (2018, April 24). Researching survivor experiences of trauma (Web log post), https://mdxminds.com/2018/04/24/researching-survivor-experiences-of-trauma/
Scally, M., DeMarco, J., & Davidson, J. (2016, September 28) The Digital World and Sexual Offending (Web log post), https://mdxminds.com/2016/09/28/the-digital-world-and-sexual-offending/
DeMarco, J., Davidson, J., & Scally, M. (2016, May 26) Policing Online Child Sexual Abuse (Web log post), https://mdxminds.com/2016/05/26/policing-online-child-sexual-abuse/
Scally, M., & Horvath, M. A. H. (2015, May 21) Confronting Intimate Partner Violence Amongst Adolescents (Web log post), https://mdxminds.com/2015/05/21/confronting-intimate-partner-violence-among-adolescents/
Scally, M., Scally, R., & Scally, J. (2021). Everything Changed: A short story for children about the death of a parent by suicide. England: Kindle Direct Publishing.
Scally, Mia (2023) “Sanctioned by the legal system”: Women’s experiences of child contact in the context of intimate partner violence and abuse. PhD thesis, Middlesex University.
Nurse, Angus and Scally, Mia and Wyatt, Tanya (2020) Examining the link: exposure to animal abuse and subsequent human violence. Project Report. League Against Cruel Sports.
Choak, Clare and Milne, Emma and Scally, Mia and Duggan, Marian and Fanghanel, Alexandra (2020) Fucking criminology! Challenging mainstream criminology in the classroom. In: Chase Feminist Network Sharing Research and Practive Event, 28-29 Feb 2020, The Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, London, WC1N 1AZ, United Kingdom.
Scally, Mia (2019) ‘Ideal victim or hysterical party?’ Victim presentation in the family courts. In: Support Through Court Conference ‘Working Together to Improve our Approach to Domestic Abuse in a Post-LASPO World’, 19 Nov 2019, The Law Society, London, UK.
Davidson, Julia and Schimmenti, Adriano and Caretti, Vincenzo and Puccia, Angelo and Corbari, Elisa and Bogaerts, Stefan and Schilder, Janneke D. and Scally, Mia and Bifulco, Antonia and DeMarco, Jeffrey (2019) Exploring policing and industry practice in the prevention of online child sexual abuse. In: Child Sexual Abuse: Forensic Issues in Evidence, Impact, and Management. Bryce, India and Petherick, Wayne , eds. Academic Press / Elsevier, pp. 657-678. ISBN 9780128194348
2022: Presentation, “Sanctioned by the legal system”, Victim Support national domestic abuse team.
