Briony Horsfall
Senior Research Officer
Family Law, Family Violence and Elder Abuse Research
Dr Briony Horsfall is a Sociologist with qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research expertise in the areas of family law, child protection, family violence, and children’s rights.
Briony joined the Institute in 2009 and has also worked in academic, government and non-government settings. She has been involved in a range of projects over time, including the Domestic and Family Violence and Parenting: Mixed Method Insights Into Impact and Support Needs project, the Evaluation of the 2012 Family Violence Amendments, and the Independent Children's Lawyers Study.
Briony’s PhD took a socio-legal approach to investigate participation rights of children and young people during child protection proceedings in the Children’s Court of Victoria. The first research of its kind, Briony conducted an ethnographic study with lawyers who represent children and a case file study of judicial decision-making. Briony’s work outside the Institute has included research on the implications of assisted reproductive technologies, grandparents caring for grandchildren, and higher education. She has also taught in sociology and research courses at universities.
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy (Sociology), Swinburne University of Technology
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Swinburne University of Technology
- Bachelor of Social Science (Psychology), Swinburne University of Technology
Research by Briony Horsfall
Evaluation of the Children's Contact Service Activity
This report presents quantitative and qualitative findings drawn from the Evaluation of Children's Contact Centre Activity.
Read moreElder abuse prevalence among older people living in the…
This article explores findings from the was the National Elder Abuse Prevalence Study, the first major national study to gauge the prevalence and nature of elder…
Read moreA user-focused perspective on compliance with parenting…
This article highlights how the family law system continues to face challenges in producing safe and sustainable outcomes for families.
Read more