Dr Victoria Blinkhorn
School of Psychology
Faculty of Health
Email: V.J.Blinkhorn@ljmu.ac.uk
Telephone: 0151 904 1960
I attained a BA in Criminology from Liverpool Hope University in 2010. Throughout my degree, I developed a specific interest in Forensic Psychology. In order for me to pursue that, I stayed at Liverpool Hope University to complete a MSc in Psychology, which also acted as an accredited conversion with the BPS. I then went on to the University of Huddersfield to complete a MSc in Forensic and Investigative Psychology in 2013. In the same year, I began working as an Associate Lecturer for Liverpool Hope University, specialising in the Psychology of Education.
Within the first year of this role, I began thinking about what I'd love to research for my PhD. I obtained my PhD in 2018 from the University of Liverpool and the title of my thesis was "Narcissism in females: Relationships to attitudes towards violence, sexual coercion, and offending behaviour in a non-forensic sample".
After a short time at Sunderland University as Lecturer in Forensic Psychology, I joined Liverpool John Moores University in March 2020.
My research interests concern how mental illnesses, personality disorders and traits help to explain offending behaviour in adults, specifically females. I also undertake work in some areas of applied psychology.
I am the Director of the MSc Forensic and Investigative Psychology here at LJMU.
I am a Research Consultant for the NHS and National Probation Service investigating the effectiveness of the Psychologically Informed Consultation Service (PICS).
PhD Students:
Eve Groome
Paige Barker
Allia Jabakhanji
Degrees
2018, University of Liverpool, United Kingdom, PhD Psychology
2013, University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom, MSc Forensic and Investigative Psychology (Distinction)
2011, Liverpool Hope University, United Kingdom, MSc Psychology (Merit)
2010, Liverpool Hope University, United Kingdom, BA (Hons) Criminology - First Class
Certifications
2018, British Psychological Society, United Kingdom, Chartered Psychologist
2018, Higher Education Academy, United Kingdom, Fellow
Academic appointments
Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, 2020 - present
Lecturer in Forensic Psychology, University of Sunderland, 2019 - 2020
Associate Lecturer in Forensic Psychology, Psychology, University of Liverpool, 2016 - 2018
Associate Lecturer - Psychology of Education, Liverpool Hope University, 2013 - 2019
Highlighted publications
Blinkhorn V, Petalas M, O’Siochru C, McGuirk L-J. 2023. ‘Challenging’ doesn’t sum it up: Exploring probation practitioners’ experiences managing high-risk individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic European Journal of Probation, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Blinkhorn V, Petalas M, Walton M, Carlisle J, McGuire F, Kane S, Moore J. 2020. Understanding offender managers’ views and experiences of psychological consultations European Journal of Probation, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Blinkhorn V, Lyons M, Almond L. 2018. Criminal Minds: Narcissism Predicts Offending Behavior in a Non-Forensic Sample Deviant Behavior: an interdisciplinary journal, DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Journal article
Kewley S, Blinkhorn V, Thomas LB. 2025. Child Sexual Abuse: A Social Work Perspective and Retrospective Case File Analysis Practice: Social Work in Action, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Alshukri S, Blinkhorn V, Warsaw RE, Lyons M. 2024. A systematic review investigating a tolerance for pain and empathy for other people's pain in psychopathic traits within the general population Personality and Individual Differences, 233 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Groome E, Blinkhorn V, Kewley S, Forshaw M, Petalas M, McGuirk L-J. 2024. 'The most stressful thing…was never the content, really': The emotional impact PICS practitioners experience during consultation and formulation EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PROBATION, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Alshukri S, Lyons M, Blinkhorn V, Muñoz L, Fallon N. 2024. Psychopathy, pain, and pain empathy: A psychophysiological study De Luca V. PLOS ONE, 19 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Blinkhorn V, Petalas M, O’Siochru C, McGuirk L-J. 2023. ‘Challenging’ doesn’t sum it up: Exploring probation practitioners’ experiences managing high-risk individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic European Journal of Probation, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Lyons M, Brewer G, Hartley AM, Blinkhorn V. 2023. “Never Learned to Love Properly”: A Qualitative Study Exploring Romantic Relationship Experiences in Adult Children of Narcissistic Parents Social Sciences, 12 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
O’Siochru C, Blinkhorn V, Lundie D. 2022. Issues of validity: Exploring the link between values and behaviour Journal of Moral Education, 52 :108-118 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Chopra J, Sambrook L, Mcloughlin S, Randles R, Palace M, Blinkhorn V. 2022. Risk factors for Intimate Partner Homicide in England and Wales Health and Social Care in the Community, DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
O’Brien F, Palmer S, Blinkhorn V. 2022. Factors that predict the referral of adult Modern Day Slavery cases to the UK's National Referral Mechanism International Journal of Police Science & Management, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Akinbi O, Forshaw MJ, Blinkhorn V. 2021. Contact tracing apps for the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic literature review of challenges and future directions for neo-liberal societies Health Information Science and Systems, 9 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Blinkhorn V, Petalas M, Walton M, Carlisle J, McGuire F, Kane S, Moore J. 2020. Understanding offender managers’ views and experiences of psychological consultations European Journal of Probation, DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Forshaw MJ, Blinkhorn V, Galvin L. 2020. Feelings towards physical and behavioural adaptations during the Covid-19 pandemic Health Psychology Update, 29 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Blinkhorn V, Lyons M, Collier ES, Almond L. 2020. The relationship between narcissism and acceptance of violence revealed through a game designed to induce social ostracism JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, 161 :261-271 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Lyons M, Blinkhorn V, Collier E, Bertamini M. 2019. Mine is Bigger than Yours! Narcissism Predicts Biases in Perceived Head Size Studia Psychologica: journal for basic research in psychological sciences, 61 :245-257 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Blinkhorn V, Lyons M, Almond L. 2018. Criminal Minds: Narcissism Predicts Offending Behavior in a Non-Forensic Sample Deviant Behavior: an interdisciplinary journal, DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Blinkhorn V, Lyons M, Almond L. 2016. Drop the bad attitude! Narcissism predicts acceptance of violent behaviour Personality and Individual Differences, 98 :157-161 DOI Author Url Publisher Url Public Url
Blinkhorn V, Lyons M, Almond L. 2015. The ultimate femme fatale? Narcissism predicts serious and aggressive sexually coercive behaviour in females Personality and Individual Differences, 87 :219-223 DOI Author Url Publisher Url
Chapters
Blinkhorn V. 2023. Forensic Psychology and Perpetrators of Crime Forensic Psychology, Crime and Policing Key Concepts and Practical Debates Policy Press 9781447359395
Blinkhorn V. 2023. Forensic Psychology and Non-Fatal Violence Forensic Psychology, Crime and Policing Key Concepts and Practical Debates Policy Press 9781447359395
Blinkhorn V. 2023. Witness Testimony Forensic Psychology, Crime and Policing Key Concepts and Practical Debates Policy Press 9781447359395
Blinkhorn V. 2021. Derogation of Rivals Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science :1916-1917 Springer International Publishing 9783319196497 DOI Publisher Url
Blinkhorn V. 2021. Projected Confidence Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science :6309-6311 Springer International Publishing 9783319196497 DOI Publisher Url
Blinkhorn V. 2021. Self-Esteem as Manipulative Status Communication Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science :6951-6955 Springer International Publishing 9783319196497 DOI Publisher Url
Blinkhorn V. 2016. Self-Esteem as Manipulative Status Communication Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science Springer 978-3-319-16999-6 DOI Publisher Url Public Url
Blinkhorn V. Derogation of Rivals Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science DOI Publisher Url
Blinkhorn V. Projected Confidence Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science DOI Publisher Url
preprint
Alshukri S, Lyons M, Blinkhorn V, Muñoz L, Fallon N. 2023. Psychopathy, pain, and pain empathy: A psychophysiological study Authorea, Inc. DOI Publisher Url
O'Brien F, Palmer S, Blinkhorn V. Factors that predict the referral of adult Modern Day Slavery cases to the UK's National Referral Mechanism DOI Publisher Url
Research Grants Awarded:
Duration of research project: 1 year, Grant value (£): 5000, NHS, Exploring Autism Spectrum Disorder within the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway (Additional Funding). 2025
Duration of research project: 12 months, Grant value (£): 2100, FHE Research Support Fund 2024, Dr. Rachael Steele (Co-I), Paige Barker (Co-I), Investigating Front Line Workers’ Knowledge and Experiences of Fictitious Disorder Imposed on the Self (FDIS) and Fictitious Disorder Imposed on Another (FDIA). 2024
Duration of research project: 6 months, Grant value (£): 940, The Forensic Research Institute (FORRI), Paige Barker (PI), Dr. Rachael Steele (CI), The validation of a new self-report tool to measure Fictitious Disorder (FD) and Fictitious Disorder Imposed onto Another (FDIA). 2024
Duration of research project: 12 months, Grant value (£): £910, The Forensic Research Institute (FORRI), Dr. Kirsty Alderson, Childhood adversity, minority stress, wellbeing, and help seeking in LGBTQ+ people. 2024
Duration of research project: 12 Months, Grant value (£): 15,000, NHS, Exploring Autism Spectrum Disorder within the Offender Personality Disorder Pathway. 2023
Duration of research project: 12 months, Grant value (£): 10,000, NHS, Further validation of the survey for the Psychologically Informed Consultation Service.. 2023
Duration of research project: 6 months, Grant value (£): £3,875, Faculty Research Strategy and Knowledge Transfer (LJMU), The validation of a new self-report tool to measure Fictitious Disorder (FD) and Fictitious Disorder Imposed onto Another (FDIA). Rachael Steele (Co-I). 2023
Duration of research project: 6 months, Grant value (£): £4,060.35, Faculty Research Strategy and Knowledge Transfer (LJMU), Dr. Stephanie Kewley (PI), A stakeholder analysis and case file review examining the extent to which social workers respond to multifaceted factors in cases of Harmful Sexual Behaviour. 2023
Grant value (£): 7500, NHS, Survey validation for the Psychologically Informed Consultation Service. 2022
Duration of research project: 12 months, Grant value (£): 10,125, National Probation Service, Offender Manager's Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic. 2021
Duration of research project: 3 years, Grant value (£): 2490, Templeton Religion Trust, Personal Liberty, Mutual Respect, and Tolerance. 2018
Conference presentation:
Oral presentation, Liverpool, Annual Psychology Conference: Merseycare NHS Foundation Trust, Petalas, M., Blinkhorn, V., Groome, E. Working in partnership: Conducting research within the Psychologically Informed Consultation Service. 2024
Oral presentation, North West Regional Psychotherapy Association (NWRPA), Probation practitioners' experiences of managing high risk individuals on probation within the offender personality disorder pathway. 2024
Oral presentation, National Organisation for the Treatment of Abuse (NOTA) International Conference, Kewley, S., Blinkhorn, V., & Kelly, S. Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse and Harmful Sexual Behaviours: A Social Work Perspective and Retrospective Case File Analysis. 2024
Oral presentation, North West Regional Psychotherapy Association (NWRPA), Barker. P. & Blinkhorn, V. Factitious Disorders- Imposed on Self and Another- Contemporary Theoretical Insights. 2024
Poster presentation, BIGSPD 2023, Groome, E., Blinkhorn, V., Kewley, S., Forshaw, M., Petalas, M. & McGuirk, LJ. ‘The most stressful thing…was never the content, really’: Exploring the emotional impact PICS practitioners experience during the consultation and formulation writing process.. 2023
Poster presentation, BIGSPD 2023, The initial validation of a feedback tool to assess Probation Practitioners' experiences of the Psychologically Informed Consultation Service. 2023
Oral presentation, HMP Thorncross, One NWPS: Working together to protect the public, Narcissism, Fictitious Disorder and offending behaviours. 2023
Oral presentation, LJMU Research and Knowledge Exchange Conference, Groome, E., Blinkhorn, V., Kewley, S., Forshaw, M., Petalas, M. & McGuirk, LJ. Investigating the Emotional Impact that Writing up Case Formulations has on PICS Practitioners. 2022
Oral presentation, British Education Studies Association, O'Siochru, C. & Blinkhorn, V. Exploring the realism of moral dilemmas and the relationship between values and behaviour. 2022
Poster presentation, Northampton, UK, The British and Irish Group for the Study of Personality Disorder, Groome, E., Blinkhorn, V., Kewley, S., Forshaw, M., Petalas, M. & McGuirk, LJ. Investigating the Emotional Impact that Writing up Case Formulations has on PICS Practitioners. 2022
Oral presentation, British and Irish Group for the Study of Personality Disorder (BIGSPD), A qualitative study exploring Offender Managers' experiences of the Covid-19 restrictions. 2022
Oral presentation, The University of Oklahoma, The Self, Virtue, and Public Life 2021 Subaward Conference, That is what the survey says, but is it what they’ll actually do? Exploring the measurement of values and their link to behaviour.. 2021
Oral presentation, Division of Forensic Psychology Annual Conference BPS, Understanding offender managers’ views and experiences of psychological consultations. 2018
Oral presentation, The British Educational Research Association (BERA), Constructing and validating a multi-dimensional measure for anti-social behaviour in a higher education setting. 2018
Oral presentation, The British Educational Research Association (BERA), Exploring the effects of wartime perceptions on attitudes towards plagiarism in higher education students. 2018
Poster presentation, Liverpool, UK, Division of Clinical Psychology Annual Conference BPS, Understanding Offender Managers’ Views and Experiences of Psychological Consultations. 2017
Oral presentation, Division of Forensic Psychology Annual Conference BPS, Narcissism predicts bad girls! The relationship between aspects of narcissism and offending behaviour in females. 2017
Oral presentation, International Society for the Study of Individual Differences (ISSID), Criminal minds: Narcissism predicts offending behaviour in a non-forensic sample.. 2017
Poster presentation, Division of Clinical Psychology Annual Conference BPS, Understanding Offender Managers’ Views and Experiences of Psychological Consultations. 2017
Oral presentation, International Society for the Study of Individual Differences (ISSID), Are psychopaths simply criminal narcissists?. 2013
Membership of professional bodies:
North West Regional Psychotherapy Association, Member. 2023
Editorial boards:
Review Editor, Frontiers - Forensic and Legal Psychology. 2023
Review Editor, Frontiers - Quantitative Psychology and Measurement. 2023
Guest Editor, British Education Studies Association (BESA) - Educational Futures.
Media Coverage:
Psychology Today published an article on my research 2023
PSYPOST published an article on my research 2021
The Times published an article on my research 2020