Mads completed a BSc in Sociology at Loughborough University, followed by an MSc in Social Research Methods with Social Policy at Loughborough University. The combination of sociology and social policy, as well as previous job roles, led to her interest in a mixture of topics, including intoxication and the sociology of children and education.
Mads is currently finishing her ESRC funded PhD, within the School of Criminology, Sociology, and Social Policy. Her research interests include illegal drug use, childhood sociology, education policy, LGBTQ+ studies, and qualitative methods encourage creativity and child agency.
Mads completed a placement with the LGBT Foundation, analysing their large data set, to explore how service users participate in chemsex practices. This enhanced her understanding of LGBTQ+ studies and included using R-coding to complete quantitative analysis.
How do teenagers experience secondary school drug education and develop opinions on drug use? A child-centred evaluation of a pivotal policy.
PGR Supervisors: Dr Thomas Thurnell-Read and Dr Mark Monaghan
Mads’ research is based around the 2020 RSE statutory guidance, which led to a more standardised education of many topics, including drug education. Mads explored illegal drug education within secondary schools, and how this is perceived by students.
Mads completed this through children-centred qualitative research. This consisted of creating a three-stage workshop to produce reciprocal peer interviews between teenagers. This was completed within secondary schools, leading to unique, colloquial conversations between students about drug use and drug education.
This research aims to influence future drug education policy, including school specific policy as well as national level. Mads aims to give an insight into teenagers’ perspectives on drugs, and how external factors and sources have influenced their opinions on drug use.
Mads has also been working on a small funds research project with colleague, Dr Laura Valadez-Martinez exploring childhood inequalities within summer holidays, using the creative methods of a summer diary.