
Overview
Background
My work aims to ensure all children have access to safe, stable, violence-free childhoods they need to thrive in childhood and across life. This spans from extensive work on evidence-based parenting programs to major national epidemiological work on child maltreatment, corporal punishment (smacking) & mental health & wellbeing.
In 2023, I was a ministerial appointment to the Child Death Review Board which conducts systemic reviews of child deaths to identify areas to improve child safety in QLD. In 2024 the World Health Organisation appointed me to their international Technical Expert Group for Violence Against Children Estimations. I also serve on the Board of Directors for the Parenting & Family Researchers Alliance and on the editorial board of the Australian Journal of Social Issues a policy masthead.
As both a clinical psychologist and a research academic, I use a prevention lens to target risk and protective factors to enhance child and family wellbeing to reduce the presence and impact of early adversity & mental ill health. This includes a focus on parenting stress, family violence and maltreatment, and issues associated with balancing work and life.
I am a chief investigator on the Young Minds: Our Future study which is the Third Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, and I am part of the award-winning Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS) team which generated the first nationally representative Australian data on the prevalence and mental health impact of the five types of child maltreatment in Australia.
As a researcher, I have received >$10 million in research funding and published extensively in leading D1 & Q1 journals. I am a sought-after speaker & frequently engage in science communication via the media across all platforms.
Availability
- Associate Professor Divna Haslam is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Arts, The University of Queensland
- Bachelor (Honours) of Arts, The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
- Member, Australian Psychological Society, Australian Psychological Society
Research impacts
I am an international leader in knowledge generation, particularly around parenting and the use of parenting support to reduce violence toward children and strategies to enhance child mental health and wellbeing. My research has demonstrated global impact on research and policy and there is strong evidence of recognition of my thought leadership by governments and peak bodies within Australia and overseas. My research has been cited in 65 policy documents, across 12 countries (Overton, 2024) including the UK, Australia, and Norway, and by peak bodies such as UNICEF, and in clinical excellence guidelines such as the UK's National Insitute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines. My work has a strong focus on science communication and the media frequently seek me to provide expert commentary on parenting, child adversity, and the importance of the early years. Clinical tools I have developed have been used in over 15 countries across 10 languages.
I actively participate in public discourse and knowledge transfer through the generation of knowledge-sharing resources, and the publication of feature articles aimed at policymakers and the general public in platforms such as the Conversation and John Menadue's Public Policy Journal. I am a sought-after speaker and have provided a range of keynotes and invited presentations across all levels of government, the sector, and in academic conference settings. The Australian government has engaged me as a field expert for several different projects in parenting and child maltreatment. For example, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade contracted me as an expert to provide policy recommendations in the area of parenting to the Indonesian government as they established a parenting directorate, and in 2023 the National Office of Child Safety within the Attorney General's contracted me to conducted a scoping study on Wave Two Australian Child Maltreatment Study.
Works
Search Professor Divna Haslam’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Journal Article
Prevalence of diverse genders and sexualities in Australia and associations with five forms of child maltreatment and multi-type maltreatment
Higgins, Daryl J., Lawrence, David, Haslam, Divna M., Mathews, Ben, Malacova, Eva, Erskine, Holly E., Finkelhor, David, Pacella, Rosana, Meinck, Franziska, Thomas, Hannah J. and Scott, James G. (2025). Prevalence of diverse genders and sexualities in Australia and associations with five forms of child maltreatment and multi-type maltreatment. Child Maltreatment, 30 (1), 21-41. doi: 10.1177/10775595231226331
2025
Journal Article
Disclosure and non-disclosure of childhood sexual abuse in Australia: results from a national survey
Mathews, Ben, Finkelhor, David, Collin-Vézina, Delphine, Malacova, Eva, Thomas, Hannah J., Scott, James G., Higgins, Daryl J., Meinck, Franziska, Pacella, Rosana, Erskine, Holly E., Haslam, Divna M. and Lawrence, David (2025). Disclosure and non-disclosure of childhood sexual abuse in Australia: results from a national survey. Child Abuse and Neglect, 160 107183, 107183. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.107183
2025
Journal Article
The prevalence and patterns of maltreatment, childhood adversity, and mental health disorders in an Australian out-of-home care sample
Harris, Lottie G., Higgins, Daryl J., Willis, Megan L., Lawrence, David, Mathews, Ben, Thomas, Hannah J., Malacova, Eva, Pacella, Rosana, Scott, James G., Finkelhor, David, Meinck, Franziska, Erskine, Holly E. and Haslam, Divna M. (2025). The prevalence and patterns of maltreatment, childhood adversity, and mental health disorders in an Australian out-of-home care sample. Child Maltreatment, 30 (1), 42-54. doi: 10.1177/10775595241246534
2024
Journal Article
The prevalence of peer sexual harassment during childhood in Australia
Hunt, Gabrielle R., Higgins, Daryl J., Willis, Megan L., Mathews, Ben, Lawrence, David, Meinck, Franziska, Pacella, Rosana, Thomas, Hannah J., Scott, James G., Erskine, Holly E., Malacova, Eva and Haslam, Divna M. (2024). The prevalence of peer sexual harassment during childhood in Australia. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 39 (23-24), 5108-5130. doi: 10.1177/08862605241245368
2024
Journal Article
Dimensions of child maltreatment in Australians with a history of out-of-home care
Harris, Lottie G., Higgins, Daryl J., Willis, Megan L., Lawrence, David, Meinck, Franziska, Thomas, Hannah J., Malacova, Eva, Scott, James G., Pacella, Rosana and Haslam, Divna M. (2024). Dimensions of child maltreatment in Australians with a history of out-of-home care. Child Maltreatment, 10775595241297944. doi: 10.1177/10775595241297944
2024
Journal Article
The prevalence of corporal punishment in Australia: Findings from a nationally representative survey
Haslam, Divna M., Malacova, Eva, Higgins, Daryl, Meinck, Franziska, Mathews, Ben, Thomas, Hannah, Finkelhor, David, Havighurst, Sophie, Pacella, Rosana, Erskine, Holly, Scott, James G. and Lawrence, David (2024). The prevalence of corporal punishment in Australia: Findings from a nationally representative survey. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 59 (3), 580-604. doi: 10.1002/ajs4.301
2024
Journal Article
Child maltreatment, mental health disorders, and health risk behaviors in people with diverse gender identities
Madzoska, Monica, Lawrence, David, Higgins, Daryl J., Haslam, Divna M., Mathews, Ben, Malacova, Eva, Dunne, Michael P., Erskine, Holly E., Pacella, Rosana, Meinck, Franziska, Thomas, Hannah J. and Scott, James G. (2024). Child maltreatment, mental health disorders, and health risk behaviors in people with diverse gender identities. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. doi: 10.1177/08862605241270077
2024
Journal Article
The prevalence of child sexual abuse perpetrated by leaders or other adults in religious organizations in Australia
Hunt, Gabrielle R., Mathews, Ben, Higgins, Daryl J., Finkelhor, David, Willis, Megan L., Haslam, Divna M., Lawrence, David, Meinck, Franziska, Thomas, Hannah J., Malacova, Eva, Pacella, Rosana E. and Scott, James G. (2024). The prevalence of child sexual abuse perpetrated by leaders or other adults in religious organizations in Australia. Child Abuse and Neglect, 155 106946. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106946
2024
Journal Article
Acceptability of corporal punishment and use of different parenting practices across high‐income countries
Gonzalez, Carolina, Morawska, Alina, Higgins, Daryl J. and Haslam, Divna M. (2024). Acceptability of corporal punishment and use of different parenting practices across high‐income countries. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 59 (3), 648-666. doi: 10.1002/ajs4.340
2024
Journal Article
Psychometric properties of the parenting belief scale in a multi-country sample of parents from high-income countries
Gonzalez, Carolina, Morawska, Alina, Higgins, Daryl J. and Haslam, Divna M. (2024). Psychometric properties of the parenting belief scale in a multi-country sample of parents from high-income countries. Child Abuse and Neglect, 147 106565. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106565
2024
Journal Article
Child sexual abuse by different classes and types of perpetrator: Prevalence and trends from an Australian national survey
Mathews, Ben, Finkelhor, David, Pacella, Rosana, Scott, James G., Higgins, Daryl J., Meinck, Franziska, Erskine, Holly E., Thomas, Hannah J., Lawrence, David, Malacova, Eva, Haslam, Divna M. and Collin-Vézina, Delphine (2024). Child sexual abuse by different classes and types of perpetrator: Prevalence and trends from an Australian national survey. Child Abuse and Neglect, 147 106562, 1-15. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2023.106562
2023
Journal Article
Child maltreatment and criminal justice system involvement in Australia: Findings from a national survey
Mathews, Ben, Papalia, Nina, Napier, Sarah, Malacova, Eva, Lawrence, David, Higgins, Daryl, Thomas, Hannah, Erskine, Holly, Meinck, Franziska, Haslam, Divna, Scott, James, Finkelhor, David and Pacella, Rosana (2023). Child maltreatment and criminal justice system involvement in Australia: Findings from a national survey. Trends and issues in crime and criminal justice (681), 1-21. doi: 10.52922/ti77215
2023
Conference Publication
READY for MS UK: Results from a pilot trial for a digital resilience-training intervention for People with Multiple Sclerosis who report moderate to severe work instability
Wicks, Charlotte, Horton, Mike, Pakenham, Kenneth, Pavitt, Sue, Thompson, Laura, Tallantyre, Emma, Brownlee, Wallace, Leary, Siobhan, Pepper, George and Ford, Helen (2023). READY for MS UK: Results from a pilot trial for a digital resilience-training intervention for People with Multiple Sclerosis who report moderate to severe work instability. 9th Joint ECTRIMS-ACTRIMS meeting, Milan Italy, Oct 11-13, 2023. LONDON: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD.
2023
Conference Publication
Enhancing parenting skills for low-income women at risk of perinatal depression: RCT of Triple P for Baby
Adina, J., Morawska, A., Mitchell, A. E., Haslam, D. and Ayuku, D. (2023). Enhancing parenting skills for low-income women at risk of perinatal depression: RCT of Triple P for Baby. International Congress on Evidence-based Parenting Support, Australia, 6-8 June 2023.
2023
Journal Article
Corporal punishment of children in Australia: The evidence-based case for legislative reform
Havighurst, Sophie S., Mathews, Ben, Doyle, Frances L., Haslam, Divna M., Andriessen, Karl, Cubillo, Carmen, Dawe, Sharon, Hawes, David J., Leung, Cynthia, Mazzucchelli, Trevor G., Morawska, Alina, Whittle, Sarah, Chainey, Carys and Higgins, Daryl J. (2023). Corporal punishment of children in Australia: The evidence-based case for legislative reform. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 47 (3) 100044, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.anzjph.2023.100044
2023
Journal Article
The role of health behavior theories in parents’ initial engagement with parenting interventions
Gonzalez, Carolina, Morawska, Alina and Haslam, Divna M. (2023). The role of health behavior theories in parents’ initial engagement with parenting interventions. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 91 (8), 485-495. doi: 10.1037/ccp0000816
2023
Journal Article
The prevalence of child maltreatment in Australia: findings from a national survey
Mathews, Ben, Pacella, Rosana, Scott, James G., Finkelhor, David, Meinck, Franziska, Higgins, Daryl J., Erskine, Holly E., Thomas, Hannah J., Lawrence, David M., Haslam, Divna M., Malacova, Eva and Dunne, Michael P. (2023). The prevalence of child maltreatment in Australia: findings from a national survey. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (s6), S13-S18. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51873
2023
Journal Article
The prevalence and nature of multi-type child maltreatment in Australia
Higgins, Daryl J., Mathews, Ben, Pacella, Rosana, Scott, James G., Finkelhor, David, Meinck, Franziska, Erskine, Holly E., Thomas, Hannah J., Lawrence, David M., Haslam, Divna M., Malacova, Eva and Dunne, Michael P. (2023). The prevalence and nature of multi-type child maltreatment in Australia. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (s6), S19-S25. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51868
2023
Journal Article
Child maltreatment and health service use: findings of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study
Pacella, Rosana, Nation, Alexandra, Mathews, Ben, Scott, James G., Higgins, Daryl J., Haslam, Divna M., Dunne, Michael P., Finkelhor, David, Meinck, Franziska, Erskine, Holly E., Thomas, Hannah J., Malacova, Eva, Lawrence, David M. and Monks, Claire (2023). Child maltreatment and health service use: findings of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (s6), S40-S46. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51892
2023
Journal Article
The Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS), a national survey of the prevalence of child maltreatment and its correlates: methodology
Haslam, Divna M., Lawrence, David M., Mathews, Ben, Higgins, Daryl J., Hunt, Anna, Scott, James G., Dunne, Michael P., Erskine, Holly E., Thomas, Hannah J., Finkelhor, David, Pacella, Rosana, Meinck, Franziska and Malacova, Eva (2023). The Australian Child Maltreatment Study (ACMS), a national survey of the prevalence of child maltreatment and its correlates: methodology. Medical Journal of Australia, 218 (s6), S5-S12. doi: 10.5694/mja2.51869
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Divna Haslam is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
The Settlement Success Project: Examining the Efficacy of a Parenting Intervention Aimed at Promoting Family Adjustment following Settlement in Australia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Alina Morawska
-
Doctor Philosophy
Parenting after migration exploration of the unique parenting needs of migrant parents to australia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Alina Morawska
-
Doctor Philosophy
The Settlement Success Project: Examining the Efficacy of a Parenting Intervention Aimed at Promoting Family Adjustment following Settlement in Australia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Alina Morawska
-
Doctor Philosophy
The efficacy of Triple P with Deaf children in Indonesia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Alina Morawska
Completed supervision
-
2024
Doctor Philosophy
The Settlement Success Project: Examining the Efficacy of a Parenting Intervention Aimed at Promoting Family Adjustment following Settlement in Australia
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Alina Morawska
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding and increasing father involvement in Mainland China
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Cassandra Dittman
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding the role of parental attributions in parenting interventions
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Alina Morawska
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Efficacy of parenting interventions for maternal perinatal depression and infant developmental outcomes
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Amy Mitchell, Professor Alina Morawska
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Bridging the gap between parents and parenting interventions: A model of initial parental engagement
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Alina Morawska
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
The Efficacy of Triple P Plus Compassion in Promoting Co-parenting Relationship Between Parents and Grandparents in Vietnam
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor James Kirby
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
The Effect of Work and Family Conflict on Quality of Life of Parents and Children: An Investigation in the Context of Child Chronic Illness
Associate Advisor
Media
Enquiries
Contact Associate Professor Divna Haslam directly for media enquiries about:
- adverse childhood experiences
- child abuse
- child anxiety
- child behaviour
- child maltreatment
- child mental health
- children
- corporal punishment
- family
- parenting
- parenting programs
- smacking
- triple p
- violence against children
- work life balance
- work-family conflict
- work-life balance
- working parents
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