Our research strengths

Our research strengths include:

• Promoting children's participation: Eliciting the views and experiences of children and young people, and advocating for their meaningful participation, to enhance policy, practice, theory and research.
• Strengthening service systems and informing practice: Building knowledge and enhancing capacity to improve the safety and wellbeing of children, young people and families.
• Supporting child-safe communities: Promoting the safety of children and young people in policies, practice, organisations, families and communities.

The Institute of Child Protection Studies is committed to ensuring that our knowledge and research is accessible to those who support children, young people, families and their communities.

This page provides information on current and completed projects, and includes accompanying reports. To view all ICPS publications (including reports, journal articles, papers and other resources), visit publications.

Current research and other projects

1. Arch: an evaluation of a multi-disciplinary response for people affected by sexual harm
2. Australian Child Maltreatment Study
3. Children and Young People's Safety Project
4. Children's safety in institutions: strengths and limitations of outcomes measures
5. Collaboration with yourtown on a digital health response to child sexual abuse
6. Developing child-informed indicators of quality in child protection
7. Effects of childhood adversities and early alcohol exposure on youth brain development
8. Enhancing the capacity of rural and regional respectful relationship educators
9. Evaluating the Supporting Young People to Understand Affirmative Consent Program
10. Exploring young people's attitudes towards disability in Australia
11. Fostering school attendance for children in out-of-home care
12. Mental health care for children and young people in out-of-home care
13. Partnership with Global Safeguarding Alliance
14. Prevalence and prevention of child sexual abuse and sexual harassment in faith-based settings
15. Religious leaders and safeguarding practices: a qualitative study
16. Safeguarding children and young people portal
17. Strengthening relationships and connections for young people in therapeutic residential care
18. Supporting young people who spend time away from out-of-home care placement
19. Trauma-responsive sexual health education for young survivors

Completed projects

• View our completed projects from 2024
• View our completed projects from 2010 - 2023
• View our completed projects from 2005 - 2009

About our research and services

ICPS provides a range of services, including small and large-scale research projects, designing research methodologies for partners, developing evaluation frameworks, providing consultancy support, and delivering training and professional development opportunities.

Collaborative research

ICPS undertakes research in collaboration with other community and research-based organisations that are interested in inquiry into the care and protection and general well-being of children and young people. We have worked with a number of programs and organisations that develop innovative programs.

Project design

ICPS designs individual research methodologies for research partners. Qualitative and quantitative methodologies are employed. Research tasks may include: literature reviews; design and analysis of surveys; interviews with key stakeholders, including service users; facilitation of focus groups and workshops; and document analysis.

Evaluation research

A key activity of ICPS is to provide evaluation research services. For further information about the types of evaluations that ICPS staff have undertaken, see Current and Previous Work.

Training and professional development services

ICPS can provide training and professional development opportunities to a range of stakeholder groups, including those who support children, young people and families. ICPS staff have expertise in the following areas:

• Action research
• Child-centred practice
• Research with children about sensitive issues
• Evaluation - developing an evaluation framework: process and outcome evaluations, developing program logics, what constitutes evidence