Sexual violence and abuse is a global public health concern that seriously impacts individuals, families and whole communities. The Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit (SVRPU) engages in ground-breaking research to understand this complex social phenomenon and enhance prevention and response.
Understand. Prevent. Respond
We advocate for a comprehensive public health approach to combat sexual violence at multiple levels and reduce its extent and impacts. Through pioneering interdisciplinary research we contribute to conceptual and empirical innovations to advance current knowledge. This guides innovative and evidence-informed prevention and response strategies - a "knowing before doing approach".
Real world impact and action
We lead research, consultation, co-design and evaluation activities that advance the development, and refinement, of primary, secondary prevention strategies and tertiary responses, across diverse settings.
Some examples include:
- Pioneering contextual prevention frameworks and strategies
- Co-design of community-led youth sexual violence and abuse prevention programs
- Co-design of a sexual offending treatment program for First Nations men
- Supporting the implementation of correctional programs and services
- Leading realist program evaluation in sexual violence prevention
- Understanding and improving response to females who sexually offend
- Preventing child sexual abuse material
- Enhancing child-safe organisational policy and practice
- Examining justice system responses to sexual offending
Knowledge translation with real-world impact is at the heart what we do.
Explore our projects showing our work in action.
Collaboration and respect
We collaborate through industry partnerships, co-design and knowledge translation activities for real world outcomes. Sharing knowledge with industry and the broader community we strive to bridge the gap between research and practice. We are deeply committed to respectful, culturally safe research in partnership with First Nations Peoples and communities.
Recent news
Fantasy, Sexual Violence & the Cognitive Intervention
Is there a link between fantasy and sexual violence? And can researchers use that link to minimise a perpetrator’s urge to commit sexual violence? UniSC Associate lecturer in Clinical Psychology and PhD candidate Andrew Allen thinks it’s a link worth pursuing.
Research backs visual therapy to reduce harmful sexual fantasies
A psychology therapy that uses visual imagery to desensitise people from traumatic memories can also reduce the impacts of harmful sexual fantasies, according to UniSC PhD research.
Our team
Our dedicated team of experts is co-led by award-winning researchers with distinct, yet complementary, scholarly interests and a comprehensive research agenda. Learn more about the people of the SVRPU.
Leadership
Dr Larissa (Lara) Christensen
Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Justice | School of Law and Society
Research focus:
- female-perpetrated child sexual offending
- technology-facilitated sexual violence
Associate Professor Nadine McKillop
Associate Professor in Criminology and Justice | School of Law and Society
Research focus
- prevention of child sexual abuse
- evaluation of correctional programming
Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh
Senior Lecturer, Criminology and Justice | School of Law and Society
Research focus
- Working with First Nations
- Realist evaluation
- Conceptual innovation
Contact us
Email: SVRPU@usc.edu.au
Office: Building J, Ground floor, School of Law and Society, UniSC Sunshine Coast