Staff profile

Dr Peter Macaulay


Senior Lecturer in Psychology

Peter Macaulay wearing a white Lacoste t-shirt, smiling.

Subject

Psychology

College

College of Health, Psychology and Social Care

Department

School of Psychology

ORCiD ID

0000-0003-4891-9940

Campus

Kedleston Road, Derby Campus

Email

p.macaulay@derby.ac.uk

About

I am a Senior Lecturer in Psychology in the School of Psychology at the University of Derby. I was previously a Lecturer in Psychology at the University between 2021 - 2023. Before that, I was working as a Lecturer in Psychology at Staffordshire University between 2019 - 2021.

Previously, I completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Chester between 2012 – 2015. I was then awarded a postgraduate scholarship and completed my Masters in Family and Child Psychology at the University of Chester between 2015 – 2016. In 2016, I was awarded a PhD scholarship at Nottingham Trent University where I completed my PhD titled ‘How teachers and young people perceive and respond to cyberbullying in the school environment.'

Teaching responsibilities

I contribute to a range of modules across both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. In particular, my main teaching responsibilities centre on social and developmental psychology. I am also involved in teaching cyberpsychology and take a research-informed approach to my teaching responsibilities. 

Research interests

My main research interests lie within the area of social developmental psychology. In particular, my work focuses on the perceptions and experiences of cyberbullying, face-to-face bullying, and bystander intervention. One current area of research explores how teachers and young people perceive and respond to cyberbullying in the school environment. A second strand of research also examines how young people perceive personal and situational factors in bullying, and how this may impact their bystander intervention.

Previously, I have also been involved in projects exploring children’s online safety and anti-bullying interventions. 

Membership of professional bodies

Qualifications

Recent conferences

Since 2017, I have presented my research at eight international and ten national conferences. I have presented at the World Anti-Bullying Forum in Dublin, Sweden, and North Carolina, and the International Family Violence and Child Victimization conference in Boston, USA. Nationally, I have presented at conferences in Nottingham, Birmingham, London, and Edinburgh. I have also been invited to a number of invited talks. My presentations focus on my research looking at cyberbullying, bystander behaviour, online safety, and anti-bullying interventions. 

In the media

I have press experience involving the British Psychological Society, Bullying UK, Family Lives, and have provided guidance to the Welsh Government for anti-bullying policies. I also have press experience with national and international news outlets.

Recent publications

Books

Journal articles

Book chapters

The Conversation

A group of children at a computer

On Safer Internet Day (6 February 2024), Dr Peter Macaulay, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Derby, explores how research is helping to shape new approaches to tackle the growing issue of cyberbullying.

Keyboard laptop

In this blog, Peter Macaulay, Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Derby, explores how to keep children safe online.