Dr. Aaron Pycroft

Dr. Aaron Pycroft is Associate Professor in Criminal Justice and Social Complexity in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Portsmouth, UK. He has over 40 years of experience as a practitioner, trainer, educator, and researcher, with a sustained focus on the dynamics of exclusion, violence, and social harm. His work seeks to amplify the voices of those who have been marginalised or scapegoated, drawing attention to how systems of justice can unintentionally reinforce cycles of exclusion. A central concern of his scholarship and practice is forgiveness, explored both theoretically and in relation to lived experience and justice practice. His most recent book is René Girard and Criminal Justice: Demythologizing the Victim (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025).