Shannon Vettor, PhD
Associate Teaching Professor
Forensic Psychology
Faculty of Social Science and Humanities
Forensic Psychology
Faculty of Social Science and Humanities
Dr. Vettor's research is focused on offender characteristics and behaviours to aid in criminal investigations and reduce victimization.
Full biography
Restorative justice is a philosophy that encourages meaningful communication between victims and offenders; and promotes offender accountability, while creating safer and healthier communities. Shannon Vettor, PhD, Lecturer in the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, largely bases her teaching and research on this collaborative approach aimed at reducing victimization in Canada, and other parts of the world. Understanding the characteristics and behaviours that lead to violent and sexual offending can help the criminal justice system provide better support and rehabilitation to prevent reoffending and further potential victimization. Fascinated by human beings’ darker behaviours such as violent offending and abnormal psychology, Dr. Vettor earned her Honours Bachelor of Science with a Double Major in Psychology, and Crime and Deviance from the University of Toronto. An opportunity to learn from one of the world’s leading psychology experts spurred her move to England to complete her Master of Science in Psychology and Investigation at the University of Liverpool. She received her Doctorate in Forensic Psychology from the University of Birmingham. Her doctoral research examined ways to analyze the criminal behaviours of sexual offenders, rapists and sexual murderers. She joined UOIT in 2013 and continues to focus on offender profiling to determine whether a perpetrated crime can uncover specific characteristics or behaviours that could assist law enforcement investigations in soliciting a suspect or suspect prioritization. During her doctoral studies, Dr. Vettor also worked with the group Circles of Support and Accountability to help reintegrate sex offenders who had completed time served in prison to reintegrate and become contributing members of society. Her research aimed to understand what might lead them to reoffend, and hold them accountable for dangerous behaviours. A global advocate for the prevention of child maltreatment, Dr. Vettor previously collaborated with the World Health Organization to develop training and information materials for individuals who work in the area of child and family psychology to help reduce physical and sexual abuse of children. European institutions have adopted these materials as part of their education programs. At UOIT, she brings her real-world experience to the classroom, challenging students’ critical-thinking skills, and encouraging opposite viewpoint discussion and debate.
Areas of expertise
Courses
- PSYC 1000UIntroduction to PsychologyThis course introduces students to the study of human thought and behaviour. Through a survey of major theories, principles, and research findings across a variety of fields within psychology, students will gain a better understanding of why people think and behave as they do. Typical topics include: the history of psychology, research methods, sensation and perception, learning, memory, emotion and motivation, consciousness, stress and health, social influences, developmental factors, psychological disorders and treatment.
- PSYC 2010UDevelopmental PsychologyThis course is a comprehensive study of human development across the lifespan from a developmental psychology perspective. The course examines developmental processes and milestones of the individual from conception through late adulthood, with particular emphasis on behavioural and cognitive development. Students will be introduced to the major psychological theories, theorists, and controversies in the field of human development.
- PSYC 2020USocial PsychologyThis course will introduce the scientific study of social behaviour and the social influences on human behaviour. Theories and research on such topics as attitude change and persuasion, stereotypes and prejudice, conformity and obedience to authority, altruism, attraction and close relationships may be introduced. Emphasis will be placed on experimental research, conducted both in the laboratory and in the field.
- PSYC 3060UPersonality PsychologyThis course will introduce different theoretical perspectives to the psychological study of personality. Approaches to human personality may include psychoanalytical, cognitive, humanistic, dispositional, behavioural, and biological. Methodological issues will also be discussed. Similarities and differences between the theories will be noted, as will empirical studies that have either supported or failed to support these ideas.
- PSYC 3400UInvestigative PsychologyThis course will review various aspects of investigative psychology, including psychological and geographic profiling. Topics will include history of profiling research and practice, contemporary investigative psychological research and practice, and evaluation of profiling and investigative psychology research methods.
- PSYC 3320UEyewitness PsychologyThis course will review eyewitness memory from a psychological science perspective. The topics to be reviewed may include: reliability of eyewitness recall and identification accuracy, the role of eyewitness memory in conviction of the innocent, factors influencing the accuracy of eyewitness memory, methods of improving eyewitness memory, law and practitioner evaluations of eyewitness memory, and the implications of eyewitness research for justice system practices and policies.
- PSYC 3999USpecial Topics (Psychology of Criminal Behaviours)This course will not always be offered and the topic of the course will change. When it is offered, this course will focus on an area of Forensic Psychology not currently covered by the other Forensic Psychology electives or Special Topics courses. When offered, this course will display a subtitle so that students know the general area that the course will cover.
- PSYC 4999USpecial Topics (Offending Profiling)This course will not always be offered and the topic of the course will change. When it is offered, this course will focus on an area of Forensic Psychology not currently covered by the other Forensic Psychology electives or Special Topics courses. When offered, this course will display a subtitle so that students know the general area that the course will cover. Special Topics in Forensic Psychology I is completely independent from this course and students are encouraged to enrol in Special Topics in Forensic Psychology II whether they have taken Special Topics in Forensic Psychology I or not. This course may emphasize oral presentations, class participation, and other weekly in-class assessments.
Education
- 2012PhD - Forensic PsychologyUniversity of Birmingham, UK
- 2005MSc - Psychology and InvestigationUniversity of Liverpool, UK
- 2003Honours BSc - Double Major in Psychology, and Crime and DevianceUniversity of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
Speaking Engagements
- Miami, Florida February 3, 2011Rapists and Sexual Murderers: Combined Pathways to Offending2011 Annual Meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society/4th International Congress on Psychology and Law
- Miami, Florida February 3, 2011Routine Activities and Rational Choice: Towards an Integrated Theory of Offender ProfilingPoster Presentation, 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Psychology-Law Society/4th International Congress on Psychology and Law
Affiliations
- University of Toronto Department of Medicine