I'm a criminologist working at the Applied Criminology and Policing Centre (ACPC) at the University of Huddersfield. My academic background lies in Psychology (BSc.) Criminology (MA) Philosophy & Social Theory (MA) and Political Sociology/Criminology (PhD.)

Current Research

1. Contact zones: Understanding recruitment processes to violent extremism across comparative domains

I am working on a new international study with my colleague here at Huddersfield (Professor Paul Thomas (PI) and colleagues in Australia, at the Centre for Resilient and Inclusive Societies (CRIS) at Deakin University, Melbourne (Professor Michele Grossman (PI), Dr Vanessa Barolsky and Dr. Vivian Gerrand).  We are examining contemporary recruitment processes to violent extremism in order to develop a new model that updates our understanding of how recruitment works across different ideological and technological platforms. The aim of the study is to assist key governmental and national policing counter-terrorism policy makers and practitioners to inform and revise existing P/CVE strategies, policies and programmes to disrupt terrorist recruitment strategies and promote non-violent alternatives and outcomes.

2. Social media and youth violence research

I am currently investigating the ways in which young people's social media use can shape and facilitate youth violence and other types of youth crime (with Maria Ionnaou). I am PI on this project, and working with our five YOT partners throughout West Yorkshire, funded by the West Yorkshire PCC's Office. Myself and colleagues at Kirklees YOT have recently set up the West Yorkshire YOTs Social Media and Violence Research Group.

Recent Research

Factors which influence victims, witnesses and 'intimates' reporting behaviour

My other research interests have centred on gaining a better understanding of why people do and don't report crime incidents and other pressing concerns to available duty holders. Most recently (with colleagues Paul Thomas, Michelle Grossman and Shamim Mia) this has included investigating the psychosocial barriers and facilitators for 'intimates' reporting of concerns about radicalisation of family members/friends to the authorities, and more widely, that of crime victims and witnesses (especially hate crime victims) reporting behaviour to authorities and third-party reporting providers (with Michelle Rogerson and Kevin Wong). I've also examined police officer's reporting behaviour of fellow officer malpractice (an element of my PhD.) and why this so often fails to occur. In undertaking this type of work the aim is to develop better policy and practice responses to increase the willingness to report throughout the respective populations.

3.    Radicalisation, extremism and hate crime

My other work studies prejudice related offending; the nature and aetiology of radicalisation and extremism; and the suitability and effectiveness of interventions to address these difficult problems. I have undertaken (with colleagues) work in these areas supported by the YJB; OSCT; EU FRA, CREST, and other funders. All of this provides some basis for commentary on the current practice and policy landscape, something which is both emerging and work in progress with co-authors. For mine and colleagues latest counter-terrorism research please see my Centre for Research and Evidence in Security Threats (CREST) profile: https://crestresearch.ac.uk/people/kris-christmann/  Also, our recent and ongoing work for the EU's DG Move on how to protect large transport hubs from terrorist attack and serious crime: https://research.hud.ac.uk/institutes-centres/acc/projects/reducing-serious-crime-and-terrorism-at-mmpts/

4.    Offender desistance and resettlement

Other strands of my work are more methodologically quantitatively based, for instance, I have used survival analysis (Kaplan-Meier curves) and formal concept analysis (with non-Euclidean spaces) to examine the effectiveness of short-term prison inmate enhanced resettlement on release ('re-entry') programmes (Christmann & Wong, 2016; Christmann, 2007).

Grant capture

I have personally helped generate in excess of £3.55 million in research income since 2005.

Research Dissemination

I have given numerous keynote addresses on issues of radicalisation and counter-terrorism, including at:

• The International Union of Railways’ (UIC) Security Division 11^th in Paris;
• The United States Institute of Peace, in Washington DC (USIP); and 
• The Work Foundation in London (closed session attended by national and international representatives of government, CT police, security services and intelligence agencies) (with colleagues)

Other keynote addresses on hate crime issues include:

• Public Policy Exchange conferences (2016;2015), London; and
• Sheffield Hallam University Hate Crime Reporting Seminar (with K. Wong & M. Rogerson, Sept. 2016).
• Roundtable discussions at Equality and Human Rights Commission 2/2016; 9/2016).

In addition, I was an Invited delegate to the United Nations in Geneva to a ‘Special Day of Discussion on the ‘Rights of Children who have a Parent in Prison’ (9/2011) on behalf of COPING Project.

Teaching

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and have over 11 years of teaching experience in criminology, delivering lectures, seminars and supervising undergraduate and post-graduate dissertations (currently I have three MRes completions).

I teach the following subject areas:

• Criminological theory
• Research methods
• Media and crime and understanding/analysing crime data

Peer review

I was invited to be an 'Expert Reviewer' by the Research Executive Agency of the European Commission (REA) to assess the 2016-2017 Work Programme, part of Horizon 2020, evaluating the Call topic:  Contemporary radicalisation trends and their implications for Europe.

I have also undertaken peer review for research grant councils (ESRC; Big Lottery Fund; BMJ Open); a number of academic journals and book plans for several publishers.

Esteem

• I am an expert evaluator for the European Commission DGHome on preventing and countering violent radicalisation
• I am a peer reviewer for the Campbell Corporation, Crime and Justice Group.
• I sit on the Critical Information and Infrastructures Security (CRITIS) Program Committee (HQ Offices, Paris).
• I sit on the West Yorkshire Cyber Independent Advisory Group.
• I sit on the Editorial Advisory Board for The British Journal of Community Justice