Search
Research
School Readiness of Children Exposed to Family and Domestic ViolenceChildren have a universal right to live free from exposure to family and domestic violence (FDV). Children exposed to FDV can experience long-term effects on their physical and psychological health and their social competencies including social, emotional, and cognitive skills and behaviours that underpin successful social adaptation and academic achievement. The aim of this study was to investigate if children exposed to FDV were more likely to be vulnerable on school readiness measures compared to those children who were not exposed.
Research
Friendly schools’ bullying prevention research: Implications for school counsellorsBullying varies in frequency, intensity, duration and hence severity, and contributes uniquely and directly to mental health problems, with severe and long-lasting consequences. Almost a half of school-age students report being bullied in the past year.
Research
Prevalence and correlates of bullying victimisation and perpetration in a nationally representative sample of Australian youthThe current findings showed that involvement in any bullying behaviour was associated with increased risk of concurrent mental health problems
Research
The psychosocial burden of childhood overweight and obesity: evidence for persisting difficulties in boys and girlsOverweight and obese children reported greater psychosocial distress than healthy weight children, and these differences were more pronounced for girls than boys.
News & Events
Young ambassadors keep researchers on their toesFlat out trying hard to keep up with the ever-changing threats from cyberbullying, The Kids Research Institute Australia counts itself fortunate to have youth on its side.
Research
How does the school built environment impact students’ bullying behaviour? A scoping reviewSchool bullying is a public health concern affecting the physical and mental health of children and young people. While school-based interventions to prevent bullying have been developed internationally, the effectiveness of many interventions has been mixed and modest.
Research
Parental Challenges, Facilitators and Needs Associated with Supporting and Accepting Their Trans Child’s GenderParental support is strongly correlated with protective factors for trans youth yet most experience parental rejection or ambivalence regarding their gender. Many parents report a desire to support their child but indicate lack of understanding and support as key barriers. We aimed to develop a nuanced understanding of the challenges and facilitators experienced by Australian parents in developing understanding, support and acceptance of their child’s gender and their needs to do so.
Research
‘It’s All About Context’: Building School Capacity to Implement a Whole-School Approach to BullyingStudent bullying behaviours are a significant social issue in schools worldwide. Whilst school staff have access to quality bullying prevention interventions, schools can face significant challenges implementing the whole-school approach required to address the complexity of these behaviours.
Research
Adolescent education outcomes and maltreatment: The role of pre-existing adversity, level of child protection involvement, and school attendanceMaltreated children are at high risk for low educational achievement, however few studies have accounted for confounding risk factors that commonly co-occur (including child, family and neighbourhood risk factors) and results have been mixed, particularly for adolescents.
Research
Why do Victims become Perpetrators of Peer Bullying? Moral Disengagement in the Cycle of ViolencePrevious studies have shown that there is overlap between victimization and the perpetration of bullying, and social and motivational variables are known to mediate this relationship. However, the effects of different moral disengagement strategies have not been studied, despite the fact that they exert a major influence on aggressive behavior.