Degree sets Claire onto caring path

In April 2002 Claire Paczko started her new post as a Legal Researcher for My Sister’s Place in Middlesbrough, part of a home-office funded crime reduction programme-the violence against women initiative. My Sister’s Place provides support and legal advice to women who have experienced domestic violence, and is the only one of its kind in the North-East. Claire’s path to her role began when she explored domestic violence as part of her BSc (Honours) degree in Sociology and Criminology at the University of Teesside.

Claire, 26, came to the University from Staffordshire, where she achieved ‘A’ levels in Sociology, English Literature and Language and Media Studies. She said: “I chose Teesside because only a few Universities offered a single honours Criminology degree. I’d also heard a lot of good things about people from the North-East. I wanted to examine the diversity of society, and this certainly happened during the degree, where subjects included youth and drug culture, unemployment and feminism. I learned there was more to people than met the eye. Other interesting modules included Penal & Sentencing Policy and the Criminal Justice System.”

In her second year Claire opted for a module that examined domestic violence, and this created an interest in working in the field. Claire added: “There’s no doubt that I wouldn’t be doing my present job if not for that course. We looked at the dynamics of domestic violence and some of the myths, such as the false claim that it’s a working class problem. Studies show that violent men come from every economic or social background.”

After she graduated from Teesside, Claire went on to gain a post-graduate diploma in Law, while working for various solicitors as a Court Clerk. She then worked as Head of a Civil Litigation Department and turned down further promotion to join the Middlesbrough project. Claire’s new role involves the provision of initial legal information to women using the centre and representing them in court as and when required. She also tracks cases through the court system to identify loop holes and the difficulties women can face in accessing criminal justice and Civil remedies.

Claire added: “Helping to give women back their quality of life is so rewarding. One client had been experiencing domestic violence for 12 years and after I obtained a court order for her she said ‘thank you for helping me to breathe again.’ That makes such a difference.”

For more information on the BSc (Hons) degrees in Criminology or Sociology please call 01642 342308 or check the University of Teesside’s web site at www.tees.ac.uk

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