Lead supervisor:
Prof Dawn Knight 
Other supervisor(s):
- Dr Chris Heffer
Start date: October 2023
Award: General
Subject Pathway:
Linguistics and Bilingualism
Thematic Cluster:
Language, Learning and Behaviour Cluster
Domestic Abuse in the Courtroom: A corpus-aided discourse analysis of the construction of victimhood at trial
This research project explores the linguistic representation of domestic abuse in the courtroom, by examining how witnesses and trial lawyers discursively (co)construct victimhood in two key trial genres: witness examinations and opening and closing statements. More broadly, this project aims to determine the extent to which domestic abuse myths and stereotypes, particularly those pertaining to victimhood, are ingrained within trial discourse.