Research

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 co-designed with young people, parents, carers and relevant stake-holders in the community, and is based…

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 suicidality among this population, further targeted research is needed to better understand boys’ and men’s…

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 trauma with suicidality and NSSI in youth, but few studies examined interventions specifically targeting suicide-related…

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 for payment. This research develops a conceptual framework that describes the live streaming of child…

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 the extant scholarship does not differentiate judicial understandings of CSA specifically from sexual offending more…

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 a comprehensive description of individual, family, and victimisation characteristics of AHSB in Aotearoa, New Zealand…

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 of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (CEVAW). The event aimed to address…

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 have experienced sexual violence. Understanding the help-seeking behaviours among this cohort is crucial for empowering…

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 boys and men is not uncommon, and seeking support is useful in reducing negative outcomes.…

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 are an important ally in an individual’s recovery journey, providing both emotional and instrumental support…

Male child sexual abuse is over-represented in institutional settings. This realization has increasingly come into public focus in recent decades initially through lived experience, often with male survivors’ stories told in the media and subsequently through court cases and government inquiries. Download PDF