Jack Staniland

PhD Candidate and Teaching Fellow

Jack Staniland is a PhD candidate at Griffith University researching international investigations into atrocity crimes. His doctoral work examines the frontline realities of investigators through a systematic literature review and interviews with practitioners. His research addresses the impact of NGO-led witness interviews on investigations and develops guidelines for investigative interviewing that consider cultural differences, trauma, language, and political context. He has presented this work at international conferences.

Beyond his PhD, Jack has published research in psychology and criminology and worked in both fields. He also has worked on evaluating policies, and developed reports on crime, education, and energy production.

As a Teaching Fellow at Griffith University, Jack has taught Psychological Explanations of Criminal Behaviour, Advanced Criminological Theories, Psychology and the Justice System, Quantitative Methods for Social Research, and Evidence-Based Policing: Policy and Practice. His teaching applies the Activity-Centred Analysis and Design framework to design lessons in both online and in-person settings. He combines active learning strategies with an enthusiastic presentation style to sustain engagement and foster critical thinking.

Jack also has experience as an instructor with the Centre for Investigative Interviewing. He trained a variety of professions including police, legal professionals, social workers, and government staff in investigative interviewing practices. In this role, he led practical training sessions one-on-one with clients, providing direct feedback on their interviewing techniques. His work particularly focused on approaches to interviewing vulnerable witnesses, including children.