Dr Josie Williams has been employed as a Lecturer in forensic psychology at Glasgow Caledonian University since 2008. She was awarded her MA (Hons) Psychology from the Glasgow University in 1996. In 1999, she was awarded her MSc in Forensic Psychology (with Distinction) at Glasgow Caledonian University, and later in 2006, her PhD, entitled: "Gendered Understandings of Antisocial Behaviour among At-Risk Adolescents: A Qualitative Investigation." This work examined in detail the lived experience of young people involved in harmful behaviours and offending, offering insight into gendered pathways into crime, gang membership, and the links between attachment, trauma, and offending.
After completing her PhD, she was employed as a Research Fellow in the Glasgow Centre for the Study of Violence specialising in qualitative research with vulnerable and difficult to reach populations, before taking up her post as Lecturer. She has a longstanding interest in work with vulnerable groups using qualitative methodology, and has recently been involved in research examining violence risk and risk management amongst offenders with mental disorder. At GCU, she is Forensic Psychology Specialism Tutor. She is module leader for forensic psychology at level 4, and also teaches on the MSc in Forensic Psychology contributing to the Psychology of Criminal Behaviour module, Principles of Forensic Practice and Research modules. She also developed and leads the Vulnerable Groups in Forensic Settings module in line with her research interests.