Research

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Commissioned research

Current grants

In-house research

Active research

The aim of the National Centre’s Research Plan is to build an accessible and robust evidence base that contributes to addressing our seven key challenges and supports our organisational goals.

To achieve this, we will pursue four interrelated objectives:

Objective 1:

Keep up to date with evidence

Objective 2:

Undertake and commission high quality research and evaluations

Objective 3:

Support the adoption of continuous improvement practices

Objective 4:

Support effective dissemination and translation of evidence and research findings

All research conducted or commissioned by the National Centre will be guided by five key principles.

Our research will be:

Participatory and collaborative
Development, trauma and healing informed
Inclusive and culturally-safe
Rigorous and ethical
Relevant and translational

Research projects commissioned by the National Centre are identified through a competitive funding round that consist of:

widely disseminated request for applications
a range of short and longer-term projects aligned with the National Centre’s priorities
merit based selection by independent multi-disciplinary peer assessment panel(s) against specific selection criteria.

In accordance with the National Centre’s commitment to funding projects that go beyond the creation of new knowledge to include the implementation of practice improvement, capability building and the development of partnerships that can drive change, the open competitive grants rounds consist of two streams: research and quality improvement.

To learn more about the National Centre’s approach to commissioning research watch our webinar here.

Current grants

The National Centre is pleased to announce the following successful grant recipients for our 2022 competitive grants round. Overall, a total of $2.99M has been awarded, supporting the National Centre’s vision of a community in which children are safe, and victims and survivors of child sexual abuse across the lifespan are supported to heal and recover.

Commissioned research

Creating safer futures: raising public awareness of child sexual abuse among young adults through digital storytelling

Commissioned research

Survivor perspectives on institutional use of child sexual abuse material

Commissioned research

The more I talk, the stronger I get: unlocking our past to free our future

Commissioned research

Delivering trauma-informed support for child sexual abuse victims in Victoria: mapping the knowledge gaps and training needs of the specialist sectors

Commissioned research

Online child sexual victimisation and associated mental health outcomes

Commissioned research

Differentiating adverse childhood experiences profiles of male youths who exhibit harmful sexual behaviours

Commissioned research

CHANGE – curtailing harm and navigating growth: evidence for change pathways of young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour

Commissioned research

Improving legal, policy and practice responses to the intersection of domestic violence perpetration and child sexual abuse offending

Commissioned research

Into the war zone: disclosure and disbelief in the Family Court

2022 Grants Round Peer Assessors

Dr William Allington

National Office for Child Safety. Policy Maker.

Caroline Anderson

Family & Community Services (NSW). Researcher.

Alison Birchall

Department of Justice (TAS). Policy Maker.

Professor Jan Breckenridge

University of New South Wales. Researcher.

Reg Casley

Relationships Australia. Practitioner.

Professor Catherine Chamberlain

University of Melbourne. Researcher.

Dr Rebekah Chapman

Bravehearts Foundation. Researcher.

Panda Cheong

National Centre Adult Survivor College. Person with Lived Experience.

Louise Cooke

National Indigenous Australians Agency. Policy Maker.

A/Professor Jodi Death

Queensland University of Technology. Researcher.

Dr Lesley-anne Ey

University of South Australia. Researcher.

Dr Gary Foster

Department of Children, Youth Justice & Multicultural Affairs (QLD). Policy Maker.

Robbie Gambley

National Centre Adult Survivor College. Person with Lived Experience.

Dr Graham Gee

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. Researcher.

Dr Frank Golding

National Centre Adult Survivor College. Person with Lived Experience.

Professor Cathy Humphreys

University of Melbourne. Researcher.

Paul Jones

Family Safety Victoria. Policy Maker.

Glenda Kickett

Australian Childhood Foundation. Practitioner.

Paul Klotz

National Centre Adult Survivor College. Person with Lived Experience.

Karen Kobier

People with Disability Australia. Practitioner.

Dr Katrina Lines

Act for Kids. Practitioner.

Noel MacNamara

Australian Childhood Foundation. Practitioner.

Dr Nadine McKillop

University of the Sunshine Coast. Researcher.

A/Professor Loyola McLean

University of Sydney. Researcher.

A/Professor Lynne McPherson

Southern Cross University. Researcher.

Professor Patrick O’Leary

Griffith University. Researcher.

Tamara O’Sullivan

Blue Knot Foundation. Practitioner.

Amanda Paton

Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia. Researcher.

Sonya Pringle-Jones

Department of Education, Children & Young People (TAS). Policy Maker.

Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh

University of the Sunshine Coast. Researcher.

Malika Reese

National Centre Adult Survivor College. Person with Lived Experience.

Professor Kelly Richards

Queensland University of Technology. Researcher.

Carol Ronken

Bravehearts Foundation. Researcher.

Douglas Russell

Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University. Researcher.

A/Professor Michael Salter

University of New South Wales. Researcher.

Jamie Sorby

National Centre First Nations College. Person with Lived Experience.

Chrystina Stanford

Canberra Rape Crisis Centre. Practitioner.

Jacqueline Stewart

Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University. Researcher.

Professor Kerryann Walsh

Queensland University of Technology. Researcher.

Leonie Williamson

The Healing Foundation. Policy Maker.

In-house research

In addition to commissioning research, the National Centre undertakes in-house research. Our current slate includes studies in community attitudes and harmful sexual behaviours.

In-house research

Reshaping the conversation: development of a shared language and preferred definitions guide endorsed by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse

In-house research

Building a knowledge frame for responding to the needs of children and young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour

In-house research

The Australian child sexual abuse attitudes, knowledge and response study

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The National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse (National Centre) respectfully acknowledges and celebrates the many Traditional Owners of the lands throughout Australia and pay our respects to ancestors of this country and Elders past and present. We recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, culture and lore have existed within Australia continuously for over 65,000 years.

We acknowledge the ongoing leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia and those who have and continue to work tirelessly to address inequalities and improve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander justice outcomes for children and young people. The National Centre is committed to ensuring that the voices of those whose lives are affected by the decisions governments make should fundamentally inform those decisions. First Nations voices must be heard, raised and amplified through a Voice to Parliament. It is time for genuine and significant reform to progress healing through the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

We seek to honour the lived and living expertise of all victims and survivors of child sexual abuse, harnessing all ages, cultures, abilities and backgrounds, and commit to substantially addressing the harm of child sexual abuse, now and well into the future. We recognise that there are children and young people today who are experiencing sexual abuse and dedicate ourselves to doing all we can to promote their effective protection and care.

Supported by

Research

The aim of the National Centre’s Research Plan is to build an accessible and robust evidence base that contributes to addressing our seven key challenges and supports our organisational goals.

All research conducted or commissioned by the National Centre will be guided by five key principles.

Current grants

Commissioned research

Creating safer futures: raising public awareness of child sexual abuse among young adults through digital storytelling

Commissioned research

Survivor perspectives on institutional use of child sexual abuse material

Commissioned research

The more I talk, the stronger I get: unlocking our past to free our future

Commissioned research

Delivering trauma-informed support for child sexual abuse victims in Victoria: mapping the knowledge gaps and training needs of the specialist sectors

Commissioned research

Online child sexual victimisation and associated mental health outcomes

Commissioned research

Differentiating adverse childhood experiences profiles of male youths who exhibit harmful sexual behaviours

Commissioned research

CHANGE – curtailing harm and navigating growth: evidence for change pathways of young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour

Commissioned research

Improving legal, policy and practice responses to the intersection of domestic violence perpetration and child sexual abuse offending

Commissioned research

Into the war zone: disclosure and disbelief in the Family Court

2022 Grants Round Peer Assessors

In-house research

In-house research

Reshaping the conversation: development of a shared language and preferred definitions guide endorsed by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse

In-house research

Building a knowledge frame for responding to the needs of children and young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour

In-house research

The Australian child sexual abuse attitudes, knowledge and response study

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Understanding child sexual abuse

Preventing repeat child exploitation material offending: An international evaluation of the CEM-COPE Program

Conceptualising and Estimating the Costs of Child Sexual Exploitation (Phase One of Australian Study into Economic Costs of Child Sexual Exploitation)

An environmental scan of Child Sexual Abuse related workforce training offerings in Australia

Enhancing the capability of Australia’s Primary Health Workforce to respond to child sexual abuse

CHANGE – curtailing harm and navigating growth: evidence for change pathways of young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour

Amplifying the voices of victim-survivors: Advancing the harmful sexual behaviour evidence base – the Ava project

Reshaping the Conversation: Development of a shared language and preferred definitions guide endorsed by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse

Building a knowledge frame for responding to the needs of children and young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour

Children and Young People’s Safety Project

Child safe practices using contextual safeguarding strategies

The more I talk, the stronger I get: unlocking our past to free our future

Delivering trauma-informed support for child sexual abuse victims in Victoria: mapping the knowledge gaps and training needs of the specialist sectors

Online child sexual victimisation and associated mental health outcomes

Differentiating adverse childhood experience profiles of male youths who exhibit harmful sexual behaviours

Response to child sexual abuse

Preventing repeat child exploitation material offending: An international evaluation of the CEM-COPE Program

Evaluation of the Multi-Agency Investigation & Support Team

Conceptualising and Estimating the Costs of Child Sexual Exploitation (Phase One of Australian Study into Economic Costs of Child Sexual Exploitation)

Effect of multi-agency deliberation on perceptions of risk in responses to child abuse and neglect

The Australian child sexual abuse attitudes, knowledge and response study

CHANGE – curtailing harm and navigating growth: evidence for change pathways of young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour

Improving legal, policy and practice responses to the intersection of domestic violence perpetration and child sexual abuse offending

Into the war zone: disclosure and disbelief in the Family Court

Understanding the experiences of child sexual abuse disclosure in Australia in the wake of the Royal Commission

Building trauma-responsive sexual health and relationship education

Learning from victims and survivors about what helps disclosure and responses to child sexual abuse

Amplifying the voices of victim-survivors: Advancing the harmful sexual behaviour evidence base – the Ava project

The dignity by design project: survivor-led system redesign

Evaluating a harmful sexual behaviour education program in a residential care setting

Community as experts: investigating the context, needs and help-seeking pathways for child sexual abuse survivors and their supporters in the NSW Bega Valley

Developing and implementing a framework for abuse prevention through culture change and organisational development

Reshaping the Conversation: Development of a shared language and preferred definitions guide endorsed by victims and survivors of child sexual abuse

Building a knowledge frame for responding to the needs of children and young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour

Australian Child Maltreatment Study

Children and Young People’s Safety Project

Child safe practices using contextual safeguarding strategies

Enhancing the capacity of rural and regional respectful relationship educators

Strengthening relationships and connections for young people in therapeutic residential care

The safeguarding capability of adults in Catholic Church ministries: a global perspective

Creating safer futures: raising public awareness of child sexual abuse among young adults through digital storytelling

Survivor perspectives on institutional use of child sexual abuse material

The more I talk, the stronger I get: unlocking our past to free our future

Delivering trauma-informed support for child sexual abuse victims in Victoria: mapping the knowledge gaps and training needs of the specialist sectors

Online child sexual victimisation and associated mental health outcomes

Differentiating adverse childhood experience profiles of male youths who exhibit harmful sexual behaviours

Needs of victims and survivors

Evaluation of the Multi-Agency Investigation & Support Team

The Australian child sexual abuse attitudes, knowledge and response study

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