Month: June 2026

Pathways for Change 

Posted by: Dilshad Zarine Posted on: June 4, 2026

Family Violence Behaviour Change Program Evaluation 

The University of Melbourne is leading a longitudinal evaluation of Family Violence Behaviour Change Programs across Victoria. This long-term evaluation was commissioned by the Department of Justice and Community Safety as a priority area. 

The evaluation aims to inform future investment and help ensure that family violence behaviour change interventions are evidence-based, effective, and delivered to the right people at the right time. 

Previous evaluations of Family Violence Behaviour Change Programs have often focused on single sites or program processes. Fewer have been designed to examine whether programs contribute to longer-term behaviour change, reduced family violence, and increased victim-survivor safety. This evaluation seeks to address this gap by examining experiences during and after program involvement, including 12 or more months after program completion. 

The evaluation focuses on three main questions: 

  1. How effectively do Victorian Family Violence Behaviour Change Programs support behavior change? 
  1. What theories, models, and approaches are used by programs in Victoria? 
  1. How effectively do programs support victim-survivor safety and recovery? 

The primary aim of the evaluation is to understand which programs work, for whom, and under what conditions. 

Contact: Nicolás Mosso-Tupper  
E: nico.mossotupper@unimelb.edu.au

For more information about the project, please contact: 

fvpp-study@unimelb.edu.au 

Every Victims Voice Is Essential (EVVIE)  

Posted by: Dilshad Zarine Posted on: June 4, 2026

Every Victim’s Voice Is Essential (EVVIE) is a group comprised of five survivors of children’s harmful sexual behaviour (child-on-child sexual abuse), and three researchers. The aim of EVVIE is to protect children from harmful sexual behaviour (HSB). Objectives include: 

  1. Amplify voices of victim-survivors 
  1. Raise community/public awareness about HSB 
  1. Advocate to government and non-government decision-makers 
  1. Engage key stakeholders to influence policy and practice 
  1. Mentor survivors who are early on their “recovery journey.” 

Researchers:   

Gemma McKibbin

Bridget Hamilton

Contact: Dr Gemma McKibbin
T: 0437 281 543
E: gemma.mckibbin@unimelb.edu.au

Banning Likes: Outcomes for Children and Kin at MacKillop (BLOCK) 

Posted by: Dilshad Zarine Posted on: June 4, 2026

BLOCK aims to explore how the social media ban is being experienced by children, parents and carers associated with Mackillop Family Services. It is informed by the research question: How are MacKillop parents, carers and children experiencing the social media ban? 

The objectives of the project are to: 

  1. Explore how families and residential care households are managing the ban 
  1. Ascertain if the ban is impacting children’s access to pornographies 
  1. Explore any impacts on bullying, especially online bullying 
  1. Understand shifts in problematic or harmful sexual behaviours, including in children’s intimate relationships and peer contexts 
  1. Investigate if the ban is affecting patterns of potential grooming by persons of interest and child sexual exploitation. 

Researchers:

Gemma McKibbin

Dilshad Zarine

Funding:

This project is funded by MacKillop Family Services.

Contact: Dr Gemma McKibbin
T: 0437 281 543
E: gemma.mckibbin@unimelb.edu.au

RHYS project

Posted by: Dilshad Zarine Posted on: June 4, 2026

The RHYS project focuses on how the Victorian education system and specialist sexual assault service system respond to children’s harmful sexual behaviour in schools. RHYS will collect data from survivors of harmful sexual behaviour in schools to understand their experiences of the responses. Further data is being collected from educators and specialist sexual assault support workers to map the current system of responses and identify ways to transform practice. 

Researchers:

Principal supervisor – Dr Gemma McKibbin

PhD Student Researcher – Stephanie Pecora-Burne

Additional Supervisors – Dr Kath Sellick, Associate Professor Bridget Hamilton and Professor Cathy Humphreys

Funding:

This project is funded by the Power to Kids in Schools – Mackillop Family Services

Contact:

Stephanie Pecora-Burne
E: s.pecora@student.unimelb.edu.au

Dr Gemma McKibbin
E: gemma.mckibbin@unimelb.edu.au