Australian Institute of Family Studies

Recent publications

Direct cross-examination in family law

Research summary— Apr 2019

This project extent to which direct cross-examination was a feature in cases involving self-represented litigants in families characterised by alleged

Family dispute resolution: Use, timing, and outcomes

Journal article— Mar 2019

This paper examines three cohorts of parents who had separated in different periods after the reforms.

Online peer support programs for young people with a parent who has a mental illness: Service providers’ perspectives

Journal article— Jan 2019

This paper explores service providers’ perspectives on Victorian peer support programs strengths and weaknesses of online approaches to peer support.

The relationship between parent drinking and adolescent drinking: Differences for mothers and fathers and boys and girls

Journal article— Jan 2019

This paper found that both mothers’ and fathers’ heavy episodic drinking significantly increased the likelihood of adolescent drinking.

News

Exploring family trends with new Facts & Figures

14 May 2019: To mark National Families Week, celebrated each year from 15 to 21 May, AIFS produced four new fact sheets about trends in modern Australian families. The four included an analysis of the growing trend for young people to stay at home with their parents into adulthood, and a snapshot of divorce trends that showed that while divorces are trending down, more couples are divorcing later in life.

Supporting children through disasters and traumatic events

5 Apr 2019: Natural disasters and other traumatic events can seriously impact the emotional wellbeing of those affected. The Emerging Minds organisation, which is dedicated to advancing the mental health and emotional wellbeing of Australian infants, children and adolescents, has developed a suite of resources to help workers, parents and carers to support children before, during and after a traumatic event.