Michael Harmson-Silvestri, CDT 2019 cohort, is helping strengthen police responses to online child sexual exploitation while contributing to improved training, safeguarding practice and cross-agency collaboration.
Mike completed his PhD research examining how police officers in England and Wales are trained and supported in investigating online sexual crimes against children. His work also explored how offenders use digital platforms and social media, alongside how law enforcement and partner organisations can better respond to these complex crimes.
His research has helped highlight important gaps in police training, digital literacy and investigative practice, as well as the need for stronger cross-agency collaboration and improved support for officer wellbeing. These findings have relevance for safeguarding practice, training development, and policy approaches in policing and related services.
Following his PhD, Mike joined the Thought Full Team at Sussex Partnership NHS Trust, where he supported children in education experiencing mental health difficulties. He is now training as a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP) with Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, working within NHS Talking Therapies teams. In this role, he works with individuals experiencing common mental health difficulties such as anxiety, depression, OCD and panic disorder, providing evidence-based support and interventions. Alongside this, he is completing a fully funded PGCert/GradCert in Psychological Therapies Practice at the University of Exeter.
Mike’s journey highlights the wider impact of interdisciplinary doctoral research and the valuable contributions our CDT researchers make beyond academia.
