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Professor Daryl Higgins 

Director, Institute of Child Protection Studies

Areas of expertise: child protection; child abuse; neglect; family functioning; parenting; safeguarding; child maltreatment; prevention

HDR Supervisor accreditation status: Full 

ORCID ID: 

Phone: +61 03 9953 3607

Email: Daryl.Higgins@acu.edu.au

Location: ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ Melbourne Campu

Professor Daryl Higgins commenced as the Director of the Institute of Child Protection Studies (ICPS) in February 2017. His research focuses on public health approaches to protecting children, and child-safe organisational strategies. A registered psychologist, Prof Higgins has been researching child abuse impacts and prevention, family violence, and family functioning for over 25 years. Prof Higgins has contributed to more than 250 publications (including over 80 peer-review journal articles) and more than 500 presentations and media engagements. He has extensive experience in managing and supervising research. He has led projects looking at child abuse and neglect, child protection, children in out-of-home care, child-safe organisations, family law and allegations of child abuse, disability and family care, welfare reform, family and interpersonal violence, jobless families, past adoption and forced family separation practices, and community development approaches to child and family welfare issues. He is one of the Chief Investigators on a National Health and Medical Research Council Project Grant (APP1158750) 2019-2023 to conduct the first national study of child abuse and neglect in Australia: prevalence, health outcomes, and burden of disease. The team of international investigators is led by QUT. NHMRC funding: $2,311,217. Additional funding of over $500,000 has also been obtained from other Australian Government agencies.

Visit ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ safeguarding

Select publications

• Doyle, F. L., Morawska, A., Higgins, D. J., Havighurst, S., Mazzucchelli, T., Toumbourou, J., Middeldorp, C., Chainey, C., Cobham, V., Harnett, H., & Sanders, M. R. (2021). Policies are needed to increase the reach and impact of evidence-based parenting supports. [preprint] https://psyarxiv.com/732ws/ DOI: 10.31234/osf.io/732ws
• Mathews, B., Pacella. R., Dunne, M., Scott, J., Finkelhor, D., Meinck, F., Higgins, D., Erskine, H., Thomas, H., Haslam, D., Tran, N., Le, H., Honey, N., & Kellard, K. (2021). The Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS): Protocol for a national survey of the prevalence of child abuse and neglect, associated mental disorders and physical health problems, and burden of disease. BMJ Open 11:e047074. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-047074
• Russell, D. H., Trew, S., & Higgins, D. J. (2021).
• Herrenkohl, T., Scott, D., Higgins, D., Klika, B., & Lonne, B. (2021). How COVID-19 is placing vulnerable children at risk and why we need a different approach to child welfare. Child Maltreatment, 26(1):9-16. doi:10.1177/1077559520963916
  81. Russell, D., Anderson, J., Riggs, D., Ullman, J., & Higgins, D. J. (2020). Child and Youth Services Review 117, art. no. 105334. https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1bZaPhNfKp93r
  80. Russell, D., Higgins, D., & Posso, A. (2020). , 102.
• Herenkohl, T. I., Lonne, B., Higgins, D., & Scott, D. (2020). . International Journal on Child Maltreatment: Research, Policy and Practice 3, 9–17.
• Russell, D., & Higgins, D. (2020). . Child Maltreatment, 25(2), 233–242. 
• Lonne, B., Higgins, D., Herrenkohl, T., & Scott, D. (2019). . Child Abuse & Neglect.
• Sanders, M. R., Higgins, D. J., & Prinz, R J. (2018). . Family Matters, 100, 62-70.
• Higgins, D. J. (2018). Capability, treatment services and prevention strategies: Implications of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse for the role of Psychologists. InPsych, 40(2).
• Lonne, B., Scott, D., Higgins, D., & Herrenkohl, T. (Eds.) (2019). Child Maltreatment 9: Contemporary Issues in Research and Policy Series. Springer.

Projects

• Australian Child Maltreatment Study
• See ICPS projects

Editorial roles

• International Editorial Board member, Child Maltreatment (2005- )
• International Editorial Advisory Board member, Sexual and Relationship Therapy (2006- )
• Editorial Committee, Developing Practice: The Child, Youth & Family Work Journal (2011- )
• Editorial panel member, Family Matters (2005-2017)
• Editorial Board Member, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2021- )

International journal review panel:

• Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal
• Journal of Interpersonal Violence
• Child Abuse Review
• Journal of Sexual Aggression
• International Journal on Child Maltreatment: Research, Policy and Practice

Grant agency review panel

Public engagement

• Russell, D., & Higgins, D. (2021). . Child Family Community Australia (CFCA). Australian Institute of Family Studies. Republished by (13/7/21): 
• Page, Z., & Higgins, D. (2021). . Canberra: ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ Institute of Child Protection Studies. 
• Higgins, D. J. (2021, March 15). . LinkedIn [online]. 
• Higgins, D. J. (2021, February 16). Child rights to online safety: LinkedIn [online]. 
• Higgins, D. J. (2021, February 16). Child rights to online safety: – Part 2. LinkedIn [online]. 
• Higgins, D. (2020). . Institute of Child Protection Studies, ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´. 
• Russell, D., Dickson, J., & Higgins, D. (2020). A systematic review of research with non-abused children and young people regarding online sexual abuse and eSafety. PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020202537 Registered 12/9/2020. Available from:
• Mathews, B., Pacella, R., Dunne, M., Scott, J., Finkelhor, D., Higgins, D., Meinck, F., Erskine, H., Thomas, H., & Haslam, D. (2020). The Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire - R2: Adapted Version (Australian Child Maltreatment Study).
• Higgins, D. & Dean, A. (2020). . Child Family Community Australia (CFCA). Australian Institute of Family Studies. 
• Cahill, A., Higgins, D. & Kerr, S. (2020). System reform for children and young people in statutory child exposed to domestic and family violence, Research to Practice Series. Research to Practice Series. Canberra: Institute of Child Protection Studies, ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´. 
• Higgins, D. & Battaglia, M. (2019). Safeguarding principles for residential care and youth justice. Research to Practice Series, Issue 26. Canberra: ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´ Institute of Child Protection Studies. [online]. 
• Higgins, D. (22 October 2018). Here's why [online]. The Conversation. 

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