Leah Fox

Biography

Professor Fox has a long standing involvement in the criminal justice sector and particularly, child protection. In 2007, Professor Fox was awarded a combined BS/MA degree in Criminal Justice by John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York. In 2012, she was awarded a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) by the University of Warwick in the UK. She is a PhD candidate and Lecturer in Criminology, Criminal Justice and Research Methods at the University of Portsmouth, UK. Her research interests include child safeguarding, deception, investigative interviewing and private policing. Professor Fox started her career as a Legal Assistant working for a New York City law firm concentrating in criminal defense as well as securities and arbitration. After moving to the UK in 2007, Professor Fox became the Operations Manager of the Independent Child Protection Investigation Service in Wales, managing a team of investigators (mainly former senior police detectives) and conducting child safeguarding inquiries in schools on behalf of the Welsh Government. During 2013-2014, Professor Fox was a social worker in a large US city working with vulnerable children placed in care due to abuse and neglect by caretakers. She dealt with both the children and adults while providing case management services which included ongoing safety and risk assessments, mentoring, advocacy for services, and testifying in courts. She has been certified by the Florida Certification Board as a Child Welfare Case Manager (CWCM). When not working, Mrs Fox is pursuing her keen interest in sports nutrition and fitness.

Research Interest

During this time, she dealt with numerous child protection referrals against the school staff relating to physical, sexual and emotional abuse of children (including via social media). She also delivered child protection training both internally and externally, to local authorities and school staff in Wales.