Children and Youth Research NetworkEnhancing the lives of children and young people
Children and Youth Research Network
About
The Children and Youth Research Network is a university-wide research network with members from the Social Sciences, Humanities, Law, Built Environment and STEMM disciplines. They are united by their interest and commitment to enhancing the lives of children and young people through their work.
The central aims of CYRN:
- Strengthen the reach of our research for the benefit of children and young people.
- Establish an interdisciplinary knowledge exchange network which functions as a resource for interdisciplinary research and for productive partnerships with industry, government and community.
Objectives
1. Promote research and enhance teaching.
- Showcase UNSW research and create connections which improve the reach of our research and add value to our teaching
2. Facilitate connections and partnerships.
- Establish interdisciplinary partnerships which enhance our research capacity, inform policy and contribute to practice
3. Advocate for the wellbeing of children and young people.
- Cultivate expert champions who can advocate from informed perspectives on behalf of children and young people in projects and processes which affect their lives
Activities and Events
Network Meetings
In 2018 a new series of network meetings was launched. This series is for the benefit of our internal network. Up to four of these meetings will be held a year. Key thinkers from different sectors will be invited to lead our discussion each time.
February meeting: The NSW Advocate for Children and Young People, Andrew Johnson was invited to the lead the discussion. He spoke about the work of the Office of the Advocate for Children and Young People, key priorities identified from children and young people’s perspectives and the development of the NSW Strategic Plan. UNSW staff can read more on Inside UNSW.
CYRN members at the February 2018 meeting
July meeting: The CEO of Youth Action, Katie Acheson spoke about the work of Youth Action which is the peak body for young people and youth services in NSW.
Showcasing CYRN Research and Partnerships
The second seminar series to be launched in 2018 is a series showcasing the work of UNSW researchers. The aim of this series is to familiarise potential research partners with the areas of work currently in focus within the CYRN group, with the intention of fostering knowledge exchange and creating an open conversation towards future partnerships. The first of these will be held 20 September 2018
Member Network
UNSW Arts and Social Sciences
- Professor Peter Aggleton
- Dr Ruth Balint
- Dr Valentina Baú
- Ms Nirosha Boaden (Research Officer)
- Dr Joanne Bryant
- Associate Professor Bruce Bradbury
- Associate Professor Terry Cumming
- Associate Professor Leanne Dowse
- Professor Karen Fisher
- Dr Jan Idle
- Ms Xi Luan (PhD Candidate)
- Dr Jung-Sook Lee
- Dr Ariella Meltzer
- Dr Leila Morsy
- Associate Professor Christy Newman
- Professor Mina Roces
- Dr Larissa Rossen
- Ms Chris Townley (PhD Candidate)
- Associate Professor Xiaoyuan Shang
- Dr Jennifer Skattebol
- Ms Helen Sowey (Senior Research Support Officer)
- Dr Bryoni Tresiz
- Dr Jane Bolitho
- Dr Iva Strnadova
- Dr Ruth McCausland
- Peta MacGillivray
- Dr Joanna Fardell
- Dr Michelle Farrar
- Dr Michelle Tye
UNSW Built Environment
- Dr Fatemeh Aminpour (PhD Candidate)
- Ms Sima Alizadeh (PhD Candidate)
- Dr Kate Bishop (Network Convenor)
- Ms Laura Bruce (Research Associate)
- Associate Professor Linda Corkery
- Dr Nancy Marshall
UNSW Business
UNSW Canberra
UNSW Law
UNSW Medicine
- Dr Jess Baker
- Dr Stephen Bell
- Dr Louise Birrell
- Professor Katherine Boydell
- Dr Katrina Champion
- Professor Valsamma Eapen
- Ms Bianca Hoban (PhD Candidate)
- Dr Nusrat Homaira
- Professor Adam Jaffe
- Associate Professor Nadine Kasparian
- Professor Raghu Lingam
- Dr Kylie-Ann Mallitt
- Professor Glenn Marshall
- Dr Sally Nathan
- Associate Professor Nicola Newton
- Dr Ursula Sansom-Daly
- Dr Melanie Simpson
- Professor Claire Wakefield
- Ms Kate Whitford (Research Officer)
- Associate Professor Susan Woolfenden
- Associate Professor Karen Zwi
UNSW Science
- Mrs Annalese Bolton (PhD Candidate)
- Dr Mei Ying Boon
- Associate Professor Eva Kimonis
- Dr Jenny Richmond
External Affiliates
CYRN welcomes partnership with any organisation or agency who is also working in the area of children and youth services, research, policy or practice.
- Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA)
- Fiona Robbé Landscape Architects
- KOMPAN Play Institute, Denmark
- National Children’s Commissioner
- NSW Office for the Advocate for Children and Young People
- Play, Creativity and Wellbeing Project, Canberra University
- Department of Environmental Psychology, Swedish Agricultural University, Alnarp, Sweden
- Queen Maud University College, Trondheim, Norway
- Faculty of Landscape and Society, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Built Environment, Aalto University, Finland
- Norwegian Centre for Child Research (NOSEB) Norwegian University for Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway,
- Associate Professor Maria Nordström, SLU, Alnarp, Sweden
- Dr Grace Spencer, Ruskin Fellow, Faculty of Health, Education, Medicine & Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University, UK
- Kids Giving Back
Research
- Queer generations: Belonging and sexual citizenship among gender and sexual minority youth. [The 'Queer Generations' Study: ARC Discovery Project DP150101292] CSRH, UWA, Deakin, ANU.
- Critical Perspectives on Serodiscordance in Family Life. [The 'my health, our family' study: ARC Discovery Project DP160100134]. CSRH and SPRC.
- Street University Evaluation. This project evaluates the impact of the unique and innovative Street University youth development program for marginalised young people aged 12-25 years, established and administered by the Ted Noffs Foundation.
- Positive life pathways for vulnerable adolescents: the role of a life management approach. This project examines outcomes for young people who have participated in the Program for Adolescent Life Management (PALM) operated by The Ted Noffs Foundation, compared with similar young people who have not completed such a program who are in early contact with the criminal justice system and have drug and alcohol issues and the role of such programs in different outcomes and pathways.
- Fostering the sexual well-being of Aboriginal young people by building on social, cultural and personal strengths. This ARC-funded project uses a strengths-based approach to examine how Aboriginal young people draw on social, cultural and personal resources to build their sexual well-being. Contact: Joanne Bryant
- Bolstering mandatory reporters’ response decision making to child maltreatment situations. This project draws on behavioural science insights to bolster mandatory reporters’ ability to accurately identify and engage in appropriate responses to child maltreatment. Contact: Annalese Bolton
- Treatment of callous unemotional states. This research focuses on translating basic science research to improve treatment outcomes for children with conduct problems.
Engagement
- Play, Creativity and Wellbeing Symposium, University of Canberra: CYRN invited to be a partner and to present November, 2018
- KOMPAN: Days of Play Forum in QLD: CYRN invited to provide a keynote presentation, September 2018
- SPHERE Kids to Adults (K2A): Creating Healthy Futures Clinical Academic Group Workshop, Sydney Children’s Hospital: CYRN invited to present. September 2018
- Urbanistas Child-friendly Cities Forum: CYRN invited to attend and present, September 2018
- Gonski Institute Workshop: Multiple members of CYRN were invited to shape future research projects for the institute, August 2018
- Education Roundtable for Outcomes of Kids with Chronic Illness: An ongoing discussion involving multiple members of CYRN facilitated by the Kids’ Cancer Project
- Centre for Research Excellence in Adolescent Health: CYRN participated in the Youth Engagement Declaration Roundtable, July 2018
- Development of the NSW Government Inclusive Playspace Guidelines: CYRN participated in the development of draft guidelines which were released in August 2018 by the Everyone Can Play Advisory Group: NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
- Child Rights Workshop: CYRN was invited to participate in a workshop with Professor Benyam Dawit Mezmur, a member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, and an Associate Professor of Law and Coordinator of the Children's Rights Project at the Dullah Omar Institute, at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa in March 2018
Contact
For further information about the Children and Youth Research Network (CYRN) please contact Dr Kate Bishop.
Dr Kate Bishop
Convenor, Children and Youth Research Network (CYRN) UNSW
Phone: +61 2 9385 7648
Email: k.bishop@unsw.edu.au