Research

What Is Research at Black Box?

Black Box delivers specialist research that helps organisations understand, prevent and respond to modern slavery, exploitation and related harms within the Criminal Justice System and wider society.

Our work combines academic rigour with real-world experience drawn from over 700 expert witness cases, frontline practitioner insight and contemporary research. This enables us to provide clear, evidence-based analysis that supports policy development, service design and strategic decision-making.

We work with local authorities, legal teams, statutory agencies, charities, community organisations and corporate clients to produce research that is accurate, accessible and actionable.

Our Research Approach

Our research is:

  • Evidence-based — rooted in robust methodology and the latest academic literature
  • Context-driven — grounded in the lived realities of communities, services and systems
  • Trauma-informed — sensitive to the experiences of victims, practitioners and families
  • Collaborative — shaped alongside partners, stakeholders and practitioners
  • Action-oriented — designed to inform policy, practice and safeguarding decisions

We pride ourselves on producing research that is both academically sound and practically meaningful - enabling professionals to respond effectively to complex social issues.

What we Research

  • Trauma. Fear, Compliance and Delayed Disclosure
  • Neurodivergence and School Exclusion
  • Homelessness and System Involvement 
  • Illicit Drug Markets and Supply Chains
  • Organised Crime, Gangs and Networks 
  • Youth Violence and Delinquent Peer Groups  
  • Contextual Safeguarding
  • Multi-Agency Partnership Working and System Responses
  • Community Safety, Public Health Approaches and Violence Reduction
  • Evaluation of Early Intervention, Prevention and Diversion Programmes

What Organisations Can Expect

Our research provides:

  • Clear, accurate insights grounded in qualitative and quantitative data
  • Comprehensive literature reviews, data synthesis and thematic analysis
  • Interviews, focus groups, surveys and observational research
  • Mapping of vulnerabilities, risks, gaps and system pressures
  • Recommendations that are practical, realistic and evidence-based
  • Written reports suitable for briefings, strategy papers, boards and funders

We ensure all research outputs are accessible to diverse audiences, including policymakers, practitioners and senior leaders.

Examples of Our Research

We have produced research and analysis for:

  • Local authorities seeking to understand exploitation trends
  • Multi-agency partnerships working to reduce youth violence
  • Charities and community organisations delivering frontline support
  • Organisations seeking to strengthen safeguarding and system responses
  • UK-wide programmes evaluating modern slavery interventions

A full list of completed research projects is available here.

How to Work With Us

To discuss your research needs, explore a project idea or request a proposal, please contact our team.

We can provide scoping conversations, costed proposals and support with funding applications.

Testimonials

"Black Box is a trusted organisation who have extensive experience of ensuring professionals are equipped with the knowledge and skills that they need to support children and vulnerable adults.

I have collaborated with Dr Grace Robinson, Daniel Robinson and Black Box over many years as part of various research, knowledge-exchange projects and best-practice initiatives. 

We have published peer-reviewed collaborative papers in the Safer Communities Journal (Emerald) and the British Journal of Community Justice on youth interventions, crime prevention and evidence-based practice.

Dr Robinson is a Visiting Practitioner in Criminology and an active member of Edge Hill University’s Criminal Justice Advisory panel. She contributes extensively to discussions around matters of mutual interest between academic criminologists and practitioners.

Dr Robinson always brings a fresh perspective to the projects that she is involved in and inspires those who she works alongside with her enthusiasm and creativity. I was able to witness this first-hand when we worked together on a project aimed at educating young people on various forms of harms in society.

Black Box has extensive expertise and knowledge around criminal exploitation, supporting victims – and increasing awareness – of modern slavery."

Dr Sean Creaney, Criminologist and Senior Lecturer, Edge Hill University

"During a three-year period, Dr. Robinson helped me to understand the lives of vulnerable and at-risk children and their families. Her research methods and empathetic approach guided my intervention processes.

This then impacted on the responses, firstly as an intervention coach and then as a conduit, to inform local authorities of the difficulties these young people face.

Working with gang-related issues, drug misuse, violent behaviour, historic family issues, community anti-social behaviour and county lines, Dr. Robinson was a huge component in my processes."

Paul Walmsley, Director, Lewis Dunne Foundation

"On a personal level working with Dr Grace Robinson & Black Box made me feel more connected to the material and broadened my own horizons in investigating this complex subject.

It was reassuring and also very sad to realise that it was not only me trying to explore this epidemic of exploitation. 

On a practical level Grace & her team introduced me to more resources than I knew were available and showed me how to contextualise those resources within the endeavour that I was working on.  

So it was really helpful to be told about other books and other films and other people working around the same material, broadened my horizons. 

Practically, it gave me a confidence and the expertise in an increased way to speak to other Theatres about the project I’m working on.

So to be able to reference the work of Black Box meant that I had more confidence in the way I was communicating. 

Much of what happens in the Theatre is instinctive and exploratory. The support of Black Box meant that I was able to apply structure to my own instincts and explorations. It was invaluable from beginning to end." 

Paul Rattray, Actor and Producer

Founded by Dr Grace Robinson in 2019.

OUR PRIMARY AIM IS TO SUPPORT VICTIMS AND INCREASE AWARENESS OF MODERN SLAVERY.

Contact