Research

Bearing witness to trauma in official inquiries is used internationally to hear directly from those with lived experience however there is little research regarding survivors’ experience of bearing witness and some evidence that these processes can be damaging, even re-traumatising…

Objective Suicide remains the leading cause of death for young people in Western Australia, though young people have limited options for support. The Luminos Project is a novel pilot service supporting young people experiencing suicidal thoughts. The Luminos Project was…

Background Boys and men experience sexual abuse and assault (collectively termed “sexual trauma” throughout this thesis) but are rarely prioritised in research, public health messaging, or service provision. Despite evidence of low disclosure rates, long disclosure delays, and risk of…

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a significant public health concern linked to enduring psychological harm. A most serious consequence is elevated risk for suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), which commonly emerge during adolescence. Substantial evidence connects sexual…

The live streaming of child sexual abuse has been a significant problem internationally for more than a decade. It typically involves a child coerced to participate in sexual activities that are transmitted live and watched by others remotely, in return…

Documenting how judges explain child sexual abuse (CSA) perpetration is an important task as sentencing decisions are in formed by their explanatory understandings. Despite this, the research into judges’ explanations for CSA perpetration is piecemeal and dated. Moreover, some of…

Background Adolescents who engage in harmful sexual behaviours (AHSB) represent a heterogeneous group with complex developmental, psychosocial, and family characteristics. Existing national-level data of these characteristics remains limited, particularly outside North America and Europe. Objective This study aimed to provide…

The vision is clear – a future where survivors are met with helpful social responses that affirm their inherent dignity and worth, respect their autonomy, support healing and social change. Download PDF

The Roundtable on the Intersections of Child Sexual Abuse, Suicidality, and Violence was held in September 2025 as part of a joint project between Survivors & Mates Support Network (SAMSN), Griffith University’s Disrupting Violence Beacon (DVB), and the ARC Centre…

Recent research recording Australian service providers observations on male survivors help seeking behaviours revealed that readiness, willingness and commitment are key factors in the help seeking decision. Prior research has indicated significant delays in the help-seeking of male victim-survivors who…

NZ research on the support needs of male survivors identifies three key issues – lack of awareness of male survivors, the need to clarify formal support services and the need for a diverse range of support modalities The sexual abuse and assault of…

Large research scoping study leaves no doubt about the benefits of peer support in supporting the recovery of young people suffering from mental health conditions. Peer support has increasingly been integrated into youth mental health programs globally. Peer support workers…