PhD Candidate and HDR Teaching Fellow

Shannon Walding is a PhD candidate and experienced social science researcher at Griffith University, where her doctoral research examines the impact of neighbourhood-level imprisonment concentration on the individual social experiences of residents, including loneliness, social participation, and perspectives on neighbourhood quality. Her research has implications for imprisonment policy, community wellbeing, social cohesion, and health.

Beyond her PhD, Shannon’s interests focus on social justice, critical analysis, and innovative approaches to research methods and data analysis. She brings expertise in quantitative analysis of complex social science datasets to both academic research and commercial evaluation projects. Her work has been presented at international and domestic conferences, tabled in Queensland Parliament, and cited in submissions to other Australian State Parliaments. In 2024, Shannon was selected to attend the International Summer School for Policing Scholars in Brisbane.

As an educator, Shannon has over 15 years of experience delivering high-quality learning experiences across criminology, health, and economics at Griffith University and the University of Queensland. Her teaching approach emphasises practical application and critical reflection, equipping students with analytical skills to address complex social issues.

Areas of Expertise:
  • Management of large, complex quantitative datasets
  • Research design and analysis consultation
  • Queensland Police Service datasets (Social Analytics Lab)
  • Longitudinal and multi-level modelling
  • Regression techniques for non-normal data
  • Conjunctive analysis of case configurations

Research Topic

Beyond the Prisoner: The social impacts of high imprisonment in Australian communities

Supervisors

Dr Kirsten Besemer

Professor Susanne Karstedt

Areas of interest

Structural and systemic injustice

Community wellbeing

Social disorganisation

Policy evaluation

Quantitative methods applied to social data

Publications

Williams, C., McGee, T. R., Walding, S., & Bond, C. E. W. (2024). The role of prosocial behaviour in the deceleration of conduct problem behaviour. Journal of Developmental and Life-Course Criminology.

Walding, S. (2024). Cultural Theories of Crime: The Chicago School and Social Disorganisation. In N. M. Connell, L. Forrester, & S. Friend (Eds.), Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice: An Australasian Perspective. Griffith University.

Ready, J., Doyle, S., Hosking, P., Ruiz, C., Taylor, H., Randall, J., Harris, S, & Walding, S. (2024) A Systems Review of QPS Early Warning Capabilities. Griffith University for QPS.

Schell-Busey, N., Connell, N. M., & Walding, S. (2023). Examining gender differences in a social norms prevention program for cyberbullying. International Journal of Bullying Prevention.

Walding, S., & Ewart, J. (2022). Characterising Australians who have high levels of anger towards Islam and Muslims. Journal of Sociology.

Ewart, J., & Walding, S. (2022). Exploring the influence of news consumption on non-Muslim Australians’ attitudes towards Muslims. Religions, 13(8), 744.

Gregory, C., Walding, S., Bartlett, D., & Ransley, J. (2022). Licensed premises lighting: creating ambience or violence. Police Science, 7(1), 8-14.

Ready, J., Walding, S., Mulholland, T., Mateo, M., & Millmore, A. (2022). Evaluation of Operation Uniform Knot: A Coordinated Effort to Disrupt Criminal Street Gangs. Brisbane, Queensland: Griffith University.

Ransley, J., Connell, N., van Felius, M., & Walding, S. (2022). Review of the Queensland Police Service Wanding Trial. Brisbane, Queensland: Griffith Criminology Institute.

Ewart, J., O’Donnell, K., & Walding, S. (2021). Australians’ divergent opinions about Islam and Muslims. Journal of Sociology.

Bartlett, D., Walding, S., Madon, N., & Ransley, J. (2020) Evaluation of Project Booyah 2016-2018. Griffith Criminology Institute.

O’Donnell, K., Ewart, J. & Walding, S. (2018) Perceptions and realities: the main sources of information for non-Muslim Australians about the religion of Islam and Muslim people. Journalism.

Our People

School of Criminology and Criminal Justice have the largest community of criminologists in Australia