Research profile for Simangele Mkhize

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Social Work
• Master of Social Sciences in Criminology and Forensic Studies
• Doctor of Philosophy (current)

Research Interests

• Cybercrimes
• social media and crime
• Anti-LGBTQ+ violence,
• The victimisation of vulnerable groups, and
• Gender-based violence (GBV).

Biography

Simangele Mkhize is a full-time lecturer at Emeris in the School of Humanities and a PhD candidate at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). She holds a master’s degree in Criminology and Forensic Studies and a Bachelor of Social Work, both from UKZN. Her research focuses on contemporary criminological issues, with particular interest in cybercrimes, social media and crime, anti-LGBTQ+ violence, the victimisation of vulnerable groups, and gender-based violence (GBV). Simangele has published eight peer-reviewed research articles and two book chapters and has presented her work at several academic conferences. She is a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society and has been recognised with a Best Mentor Certificate for her commitment to student development and academic excellence. Her current research projects explore GBV in same-sex relationships, the experiences of male victims of GBV, and online gender-based violence. She is also exploring the dynamics of online scamming on social media platforms such as Facebook, aiming to contribute to a more inclusive understanding of victimisation in the digital spheres.