Overview
Background
Dr Emma Belton is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Queensland and the Australian National University. Her research focuses on radicalisation pathways, violent extremist risk assessment, and evaluating countering violent extremism (CVE) initiatives in custodial and community settings. Previously, she was the project manager for an ARC-funded project responsible for developing the Profiles of Individual Radicalisation in Australia (PIRA) dataset, which collects data on individuals radicalised to extremism and terrorist offenders. She holds a PhD in Criminology from the University of Queensland. Her doctoral research investigates the traits of individual radicalisation and violent extremism in Australia, aiming to improve understanding of risk factors associated with both violent and non-violent extremists. Dr Belton has received training in using the VERA-2R tool and has collaborated with various stakeholders, including the Department of Home Affairs, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, the Department of Justice and Community Safety, and NSW Corrective Services.Dr Emma Belton is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of Queensland and the Australian National University. Her research focuses on radicalisation pathways, violent extremist risk assessment, and evaluating countering violent extremism (CVE) initiatives in custodial and community settings. Previously, she was the project manager for an ARC-funded project responsible for developing the Profiles of Individual Radicalisation in Australia (PIRA) dataset, which collects data on individuals radicalised to extremism and terrorist offenders. She holds a PhD in Criminology from the University of Queensland. Her doctoral research investigates the traits of individual radicalisation and violent extremism in Australia, aiming to improve understanding of risk factors associated with both violent and non-violent extremists. Dr Belton has received training in using the VERA-2R tool and has collaborated with various stakeholders, including the Department of Home Affairs, the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, the Department of Justice and Community Safety, and NSW Corrective Services.
Availability
- Dr Emma Belton is:
- Not available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Psychological Science, Griffith University
- Bachelor (Honours) of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University
- Doctor of Philosophy of Criminology, The University of Queensland
Research interests
-
Terrorism
-
Radicalisation
-
Counter-Terrorism
-
Violent Extremist Risk Assessment
-
Sex Offending
Works
Search Professor Emma Belton’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Other Outputs
Validation of the Violent Extremism Risk Assessment (VERA-2R) Tool in the Australian and New Zealand Context - Phase 1 results: Examining the content and face validity of the VERA-2R
Cherney, Adrian, Mulholland, Tiahna and Belton, Emma (2025). Validation of the Violent Extremism Risk Assessment (VERA-2R) Tool in the Australian and New Zealand Context - Phase 1 results: Examining the content and face validity of the VERA-2R. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: University of Queensland.
2025
Journal Article
Linking conspiracy beliefs with violence: a scoping review of the empirical literature
Belton, Emma, Mulholland, Tiahna and Murphy, Kristina (2025). Linking conspiracy beliefs with violence: a scoping review of the empirical literature. Terrorism and Political Violence, ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print), 1-27. doi: 10.1080/09546553.2025.2462601
2025
Other Outputs
Profiles of Individual Radicalisation in Australia (PIRA) Database
Belton, Emma and Cherney, Adrian (2025). Profiles of Individual Radicalisation in Australia (PIRA) Database. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/0798ead
2024
Other Outputs
Testing the reliability and validity of the VERA-2R on individuals who have radicalised in Australia
Cherney, Adrian and Belton, Emma (2024). Testing the reliability and validity of the VERA-2R on individuals who have radicalised in Australia. Canberra, ACT, Australia: Australian Institute of Criminology. doi: 10.52922/crg77345
2024
Journal Article
Testing the application of violent extremism risk assessment to individuals who have radicalised in Australia: the case of the VERA-2R
Belton, Emma and Cherney, Adrian (2024). Testing the application of violent extremism risk assessment to individuals who have radicalised in Australia: the case of the VERA-2R. Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 690 (690) 690, 1-19. doi: 10.52922/ti77338
2024
Other Outputs
Understanding the progression to violence: background characteristics and risk factors for radicalisation to violent extremism
Belton, Emma (2024). Understanding the progression to violence: background characteristics and risk factors for radicalisation to violent extremism. PhD Thesis, School of Social Science, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/72ca640
2023
Journal Article
Profiles of Individual Radicalisation in Australia (PIRA): introducing an Australian Open-Source Extremist Database
Belton, Emma, Cherney, Adrian and Zahnow, Renee (2023). Profiles of Individual Radicalisation in Australia (PIRA): introducing an Australian Open-Source Extremist Database. Perspectives on Terrorism, XVII (1), 18-35.
2022
Journal Article
Beyond ‘what works’: implementing sex offender treatment programs in the ‘real world’
Rayment-McHugh, Susan, Belton, Emma, McKillop, Nadine, Christensen, Larissa S., Prenzler, Tim and Hine, Lorelei (2022). Beyond ‘what works’: implementing sex offender treatment programs in the ‘real world’. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 61 (3), 148-167. doi: 10.1080/10509674.2022.2045529
2022
Journal Article
Effectiveness of sexual offender treatment and reintegration programs: does program composition and sequencing matter?
McKillop, Nadine, Hine, Lorelei, Rayment-McHugh, Susan, Prenzler, Tim, Christensen, Larissa S and Belton, Emma (2022). Effectiveness of sexual offender treatment and reintegration programs: does program composition and sequencing matter?. Journal of Criminology, 55 (2), 263380762210790-201. doi: 10.1177/26338076221079046
2021
Journal Article
The evaluation of case-managed programs targeting individuals at risk of radicalisation
Cherney, Adrian and Belton, Emma (2021). The evaluation of case-managed programs targeting individuals at risk of radicalisation. Terrorism and Political Violence, 35 (4), 1-20. doi: 10.1080/09546553.2021.1984236
2021
Other Outputs
Metrics for the evaluation of case-managed programs to counter violent extremism: a pilot testing of Victorian Community Integrated Support Program (CISP) data
Cherney, Adrian and Belton, Emma (2021). Metrics for the evaluation of case-managed programs to counter violent extremism: a pilot testing of Victorian Community Integrated Support Program (CISP) data . Brisbane: University of Queensland.
2021
Conference Publication
Understanding within-group differences amongst violent extremists
Belton, Emma (2021). Understanding within-group differences amongst violent extremists. Society for Terrorism Research 5th Annual Postgraduate (Online) Conference: Current Themes in the Study of Terrorism and Political Violence, De Montfort University, Leicester, United Kingdom (online), 28 May 2021.
2020
Journal Article
Understanding youth radicalisation: an analysis of Australian data
Cherney, Adrian, Belton, Emma, Norham, Siti Amirah Binte and Milts, Jack (2020). Understanding youth radicalisation: an analysis of Australian data. Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression, 14 (2), 1-23. doi: 10.1080/19434472.2020.1819372
2020
Journal Article
Police programmes that seek to increase community connectedness for reducing violent extremism behaviour, attitudes and beliefs
Mazerolle, Lorraine, Eggins, Elizabeth, Cherney, Adrian, Hine, Lorelei, Higginson, Angela and Belton, Emma (2020). Police programmes that seek to increase community connectedness for reducing violent extremism behaviour, attitudes and beliefs. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 16 (3) e1111. doi: 10.1002/cl2.1111
2020
Other Outputs
Program integrity guidelines to inform the design, implementation and evaluation of P/CVE initiatives: Guideline review document & Program integrity toolkit
Cherney, Adrian , Belton, Emma and Daniel Koehler, (2020). Program integrity guidelines to inform the design, implementation and evaluation of P/CVE initiatives: Guideline review document & Program integrity toolkit. Queensland & Melbourne : Countering Violent Extremism Unit, Department of Justice and Community Safety and the University of Queensland.
2020
Journal Article
PROTOCOL: Multiagency programmes with police as a partner for reducing radicalisation to violence
Mazerolle, Lorraine, Cherney, Adrian, Eggins, Elizabeth, Higginson, Angela, Hine, Lorelei and Belton, Emma (2020). PROTOCOL: Multiagency programmes with police as a partner for reducing radicalisation to violence. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 16 (3) e1110. doi: 10.1002/cl2.1110
2020
Journal Article
PROTOCOL: Police programs that seek to increase community connectedness for reducing violent extremism behaviour, attitudes and beliefs
Mazerolle, Lorraine, Cherney, Adrian, Eggins, Elizabeth, Higginson, Angela, Hine, Lorelei and Belton, Emma (2020). PROTOCOL: Police programs that seek to increase community connectedness for reducing violent extremism behaviour, attitudes and beliefs. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 16 (1) e1076. doi: 10.1002/cl2.1076
2019
Journal Article
Assessing intervention outcomes targeting radicalised offenders: testing the pro integration model of extremist disengagement as an evaluation tool
Cherney, Adrian and Belton, Emma (2019). Assessing intervention outcomes targeting radicalised offenders: testing the pro integration model of extremist disengagement as an evaluation tool. Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict, 13 (3), 1-19. doi: 10.1080/17467586.2019.1680854
2019
Journal Article
Evaluating the Graded Care Profile 2: comparisons with the original tool and factors affecting uptake and use of the updated tool
Smith, Emma, Johnson, Robyn, Andersson, Tove, Belton, Emma, Kyriacou, Samantha and Hodson, Dawn (2019). Evaluating the Graded Care Profile 2: comparisons with the original tool and factors affecting uptake and use of the updated tool. Child Abuse Review, 28 (4), 299-309. doi: 10.1002/car.2570
2019
Journal Article
Multiagency programs with police as a partner for reducing radicalisation to violence [Title registration]
Mazerolle, Lorraine, Cherney, Adrian, Eggins, Elizabeth, Higginson, Angela, Hine, Lorelei and Belton, Emma (2019). Multiagency programs with police as a partner for reducing radicalisation to violence [Title registration]. Campbell Systematic Reviews. doi: 10.1002/cl2.1044
Funding
Current funding
Media
Enquiries
For media enquiries about Dr Emma Belton's areas of expertise, story ideas and help finding experts, contact our Media team: