Centre for Security and Extremism

The centre's aims are to:

• To enhance public understanding of the nature of threats to national, regional and human security;
• To inform debates surrounding extremism and discussion regarding hate crimes and whose security is important;
• To critically interrogate securitisation strategies and the public discourses which surround them, their implementation, and their wider implications in contemporary social and political contexts;
• To develop an understanding of how the Criminal Justice System and wider community-based interventions are used to tackle extremism and security;
• To facilitate student collaboration in research-related activities to ensure that the research activities of the Centre benefit the student experience.

Find out more about our research specialisms

Tackling Racism in Sport

Criminologists have explored how Islamophobia in football impacts male and female football players both on and off the pitch, and found that participants were reporting hate crimes from members of the public, players from opposing teams and management.

Their studies have led to FA action in a bid to raise awareness and tackle discrimination in football at all levels. The research has led to discussions about institutionalised racism in UK sports and measures that need to be taken to kick racism out of the games. 

Centre lead: Prof Imran Awan

Deputy Research Director: Dr Damian Breen