Research students are fundamental to the success of the Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit.
We strive to provide:
- Innovative research projects to support emerging research scholars;
- Collegiate, stimulating and challenging environment e.g. active writing groups driven by students;
- Supervisory teams with broad skill base; and
- Skills and capacity to work as part of trans-disciplinary teams.
PhD students
| Student | Project Title | Year/s | Institution/s | Supervisors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Andrew Allen |
Sexual Violence and Fantasy: Investigating the Utility of EMDR Therapy |
2019 - 2023 |
UniSC Australia |
Dr Prue Millear and Dr Nadine McKillop (USC); Professor Mary Katsikitis (Flinders University) |
|
Tashena Biffanti |
Determining the Relationship between Experimental and Aggravated Sexting in Young People: Self-Produced Online Child Sexual Exploitation Material |
2020 - 2023 |
UniSC Australia |
Dr Nadine McKillop, Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh, Dr Lara Christensen and Dr Emily Moir |
|
Isabelle Hull |
Offending Patterns and System Responses to Female-Perpetrated Child Sexual Abuse and CSAM Offences in Queensland |
2020-2026 |
UniSC Australia |
Dr Nadine McKillop, Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh and Dr Lara Christensen |
| Shona Innes | “Positioned”, a novel: Disentangling the complexity of intrafamilial child sexual abuse to elucidate everyday parent and child prevention strategies | 2021-2025 | UniSC Australia | Dr Ross Watkins, Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh, and Dr Harriot Beazley |
| Danielle Labhardt | A cross-cultural study using sequential triangulation and immersive technology to advance bystander intervention research in sexual assault | Completed 2018 | Coventry University | Dr Emma Holdsworth, Professor Sarah Brown and Dr Douglas Howat (Coventry University); Dr Nadine McKillop and Professor Christian Jones (USC) |
| Jessica Lockitch | Safeguarding vulnerable people in institutional settings across the lifespan | 2021-2025 | UniSC Australia | Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh, Dr Emily Moir and Dr Tess Parker |
| Timea Molnar | Validation of the JSOAP-II on Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth who sexually harm | 2017 - 2020 | Griffith University | Associate Professor John Rynne and Dr Troy Allard (Griffith University); Dr Nadine McKillop (USC) |
| Melinda Osbourne | The sexual extortion of children using cyberspace and telecommunication devices | 2019 - 2023 | UniSC Australia | Dr Rachael Sharman, Dr Lara Christensen and Dr Ben Lane |
| Belinda Peacock | Development, implementation and evaluation of a program for individuals at-risk of, or engaging with, online child exploitation material in Australia | 2019 - 2027 | UniSC Australia | Dr Nadine McKillop, Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh and Dr Lara Christensen |
| Bricklyn Priebe | Best-practice approaches to rehabilitation and reintegration for females who have perpetrated child sexual abuse: An international study investigating professionals’ perceptions of ‘what works’ and what ‘could work’. | 2020-2023 | UniSC Australia | Dr Lara Christensen, Dr Nadine McKillop and Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh |
| Lindy Kanan | Violence against women in Australia’s Pacific labour mobility scheme: response and prevention | 2023-2026 | UniSC Australia | Dr Kelly Hine & Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh |
| Rachael Stubbs |
Intimate partner violence prevention among young people–exploring the interface of respectful relationship education and direct practice. |
2020-2024 | UniSC Australia | Dr Philip Crane, Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh and Dr Karen Struthers |
Honours students
| Student | Project Title | Year/s | Institution/s | Supervisors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maddy Lee | Sexual abuse in aged care institutions. | 2022 | UniSC Australia | Dr Nadine McKillop and Dr Emily Moir |
| Melanie Stedman | Informing therapeutic interventions for harmful sexual behaviours amongst young people with autism symptomology. | 2021 | UniSC Australia | Dr Nadine McKillop and Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh |
| Lyric Buzza | Assessing Future Directions for Stop It Now! in the UK, US and Beyond. |
2021 |
UniSC Australia |
Dr Nadine McKillop and Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh |
| Yolandi Breedt | Revenge porn and rapidly advancing technology: A comparison of the Australian laws. |
Completed 2020 |
UniSC Australia |
Associate Professor Kelly Burton |
| Jessica Lockitch | Barriers to guardianship in youth-serving institutions: Implications for enhanced prevention. |
Completed 2020 |
UniSC Australia | Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh and Dr Nadine McKillop |
| Isabella Damiris | Sentencing disparities for female and male sexual offending on Queensland: Do they exist, and what is the impact? |
Completed 2019 |
UniSC Australia |
Dr Nadine McKillop, Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh and Dr Lara Christensen |
| Melinda Osbourne | Critical life events: Pathways to child sexual offending | Completed 2018 | USC Australia | Dr Lara Christensen |
| Richard Bojack | Investigating the onset of child sexual abuse in emerging adulthood: A comparison across developmental life stages |
Completed 2018 |
UniSC Australia |
Dr Susan Rayment-McHugh and Dr Nadine McKillop |
Current students can find information to support you in your program through HDR Candidature and through Student Blackboard / Research and Research Training / Graduate Research Studies Management.
Study with us
Explore options for research students or contact the co-leaders of Sexual Violence Research and Prevention Unit for guidance on what specific projects within the Unit might suit your research interests.
Honours students study for a year full-time or for two years part time and should refer to honours applications for more information.
You may also be interested in enrolling in a Masters or Doctorate research program and further information can be found at HDR Applicants
Potential research topics
Research projects are available for Honours and Higher Degree by Research students (from a range of disciplines) in the following areas:
Understand:
- Understanding onset and progression of child sexual abuse
- Female sexual offending
- Youth sexual violence and abuse
- Online sexual offending trajectories
- Victimology of sexual abuse
- Understanding endemic sexual violence
Prevent:
- Contextual and place-based prevention models
- Situational prevention of child sexual abuse
- Child-safe organisations
- Bystander interventions and sexual assault
Respond:
- Assessment and treatment of youth and adults who sexually abuse
- Evaluation of sexual offender rehabilitation and reintegration
- Sentencing of child sexual offenders
- Attrition of sexual abuse cases
- Responding to sexual violence and abuse in Indigenous communities
Supervisors
Students in an Honours, Masters or Doctoral program need to identify a potential supervisor.
We suggest reviewing SVRPU unit members and identifying potential people who may align with your research interests.
Send a copy of your resume or CV, a brief summary of your work experience history, and research interests to your potential supervisor.
If you are unsure of which academic to approach feel free to contact us by email with your resume or CV, a short statement about you and SVRPU co-leaders will consider mentors who may be available to support your research aspirations.
Scholarships
Explore scholarships available (filter by study level Postgraduate - research).