Preventing sexual violence and abuse
Research
Griffith's research into preventing sexual violence and abuse provides a model that sucessfully bridges the gap between the traditional academic research and clinical practice dichotomy in Australia to offer a new model for research practice that ensures the research impact is directly relevant to the client.
Professor Mark Dadds, School of Psychology, University of New South Wales
Through a combination of developmental, situational, clinical, and justice systems approaches, the innovative team-based research being conducted at Griffith into the prevention of sexual violence and abuse is forging new directions in Australia and internationally.
This program aims to understand how potential offenders can be prevented from committing sexual offences in the first place, as well as how systems and society can deal effectively with the impact of these offences. It draws upon theoretical, empirical and applied knowledge from developmental psychology, environmental criminology, criminal careers research, and clinical forensic psychology.
Applied research activities include investigations of developmental pathways of adolescent and adult sexual offenders; onset, progression and desistance among offenders; risk prediction; situational prevention; and clinical forensic interventions with adolescent and adult offenders.
Policy
Public policy responses to sexual violence and abuse are preoccupied with efforts directed at trying to “fix the problem” after it has already occurred, for example by punishing and incapacitating the offender and ameliorating the impact on the victim. Griffith Research seeks to ensure that prevention policy and practice are informed by an understanding of the best available evidence, theory, and practice standards.
Practice
Griffith has brought together a team of cutting-edge researchers and practitioners to focus on preventing sexual violence and abuse. A notable example is the Griffith Youth Forensic Service, a University-based program that provides specialised state-wide services for youth (10 to 17 years) who have appeared in Queensland courts in relation to sexual offence matters.
Griffith Youth Forensic Service practitioners travel widely throughout the state, including to regional and remote locations, ensuring that specialised assessment and intervention services are available to these youth and their families wherever they might live.