Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault

Resources

• Child sexual abuse research

  In an effort to support the work of the Royal Commission into the Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Australia we have collated resources and information for victim/survivors of child sexual abuse, practitioners/service providers and those interested in finding out more about support services.

Latest publications

• The role of emerging communication technologies in experiences of sexual violence: A new legal frontier?

  Research report No. 23: This research study investigates how communication technologies facilitate sexual violence against young people and what challenges this presents for the Victorian criminal justice system.

  Media release

• Addressing women's victimisation histories in custodial settings

  ACSSA Issues: This paper explores the prison as a possible site of re-traumatisation. A trauma-informed approach may offer an alternative to delivering a less traumatic prison environment and experience for female criminal offenders with a history of sexual abuse and assault.

• A snapshot of how local context affects sexual assault service provision in regional, rural and remote Australia

  ACSSA Wrap: ACSSA spoke with six sexual assault services in regional, rural and remote areas to explore local contexts and the ways in which managers and workers solved issues through flexible and innovative approaches.

In the news

• Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse

  The Australian Government has introduced legislation to amend the Royal Commissions Act 1902 to assist the work of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

  The amendments will allow one or more of the six Royal Commissioners to conduct hearings, where previously the Act only permitted hearings by all members of a multi-member Commission or a quorum.

  The Bill will also enable the Commissioners to receive information from those affected by child abuse at less formal ‘private sessions’.

  For many, telling their stories of child sexual abuse will be very traumatic and these private sessions will mean that people affected by this crime can voluntarily participate in the Royal Commission in a less formal setting than a hearing.

  National Centre for Excellence

  The Federal Government has announced Emeritus Professor Anne Edwards as the Chair of the National Centre of Excellence in the Reduction of Violence Against Women & their Children. In her role, Professor Edwards will use her extensive experience in gender and sexual studies to develop the research agenda for the centre and guide future investment, policy and services in the prevention and reduction of violence against women.