Dr. Kim Varma
Spotlight
Kim Varma is a Professor in the Department of Criminology. She received her PhD and MA in Criminology from the University of Toronto, and BA (Sociology) from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Kim’s research examines a range of topics in criminology including; community crime prevention and child protection, social assistance fraud, decision-making in the youth justice system, and Canadian youth justice policy. She has authored peer-reviewed articles and chapters on public perceptions of community crime prevention, crime and the criminal justice system, youth sentencing, and bail, and is co-author (with Kanwal Khokhar) of the forthcoming book, Guardians of the Community: The Block Parent® Program of Canada (University of Toronto Press). Winter 2025
Listen to Kim Varma on Criminologia Podcast, March 2021 (external link, opens in new window)
Selected Publications
- Varma, K.N. and Khokhar, K. Guardians of the Community: The Block Parent® Program of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Forthcoming Winter 2025
- Varma, K.N. (2023) Volunteering for community crime prevention: examining guardianship and the Block Parent program of Canada. Crime Prev Community Safety. (external link)
- Varma K. and E. Leroux (2019) “Understanding the Nature and Scope of Adolescent Sexual Offending Across Canada.” The Annual Review of Interdisciplinary Justice Research Volume 8.
- Landau, T. and Varma, K. (2014) A Tale of Three Programs - Reflections on Criminological Studies at Ryerson University. The Annual Review of Interdisciplinary Justice Research Volume 4 (Fall 2014).
- Varma, K. and A. Ward (2014). Social assistance fraud and zero tolerance in Ontario, Canada. Canadian Review of Social Policy, vol 70: 78-92..
- Varma, K. and V. Marinos (2013). “Three Decades of Public Attitudes Research on Crime and Punishment in Canada”. Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 55(4): 549:562.
- K. Ismaili, J.Sprott, and K.Varma eds. (2012). Canadian Criminal Justice Policy: A Contemporary Reader. Toronto: Oxford University Press.
- Varma. K. (2007). "Parental involvement in youth court" Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 49(2) 231-260.
- Varma, K. (2006) "'Face'-ing the offender: Exploring public attitudes towards young offenders," Contemporary Justice Review, 9(2), 175-187.
- Varma, K. (2002) "Exploring 'youth' in court: An analysis of decision-making in youth court bail hearings," Canadian Journal of Criminology, 44(2): 143-164.