Qualitative and quantitative research into the motivations of offenders who carry and use acid and other corrosives in violent attacks and other criminal acts

Matt Hopkins has been involved in body of work over several years on acid attacks and corrosive substance crime. This has included work Commissioned by the Home Office exploring the motivations of offenders who use corrosive substances (such as acid) in violent and other criminal acts (with Professor Teela Sanders and Dr Lucy Neville). He has also been involved in work exploring the use of various forms of education targeted towards potential carriers of corrosive substances (with Acid Survivors Trust International) and work looking at the impact of attacks on survivors). Matt has also made regular appearances in national media on the subject.

Key publications include:

• Hopkins, M., Neville, L. and Sanders, T. (2021). Acid Crime: Context, Motivation and Prevention. Palgrave MacMillan. 
• Hopkins, M., Neville, L. and Sanders, T. (2021) The motivations of offenders who carry and use acid and other corrosives in criminal acts.  Home Office Research Report 121.
• Neville, L., Hopkins, M. & Sanders, T. (2022). ‘Acid Attacks’. In P. Ali & M.M. Rogers (eds.), ‘A comprehensive guide to gender-based violence’. Springer Nature.
• Blog for ‘The Conversation’ (6th Feb, 2024): Acid attacks appear to be on the rise: Acid attacks appear to be on the rise: link to blog