Staff Profile

Dr Daryl Higgins
General Manager - Research

BA (Melb), BA(Hons) (Deakin), PhD (Deakin)

Biography

Dr Daryl Higgins is a General Manager (Research) at the Australian Institute of Family Studies. Dr Higgins is a Registered Psychologist, and has been conducting research in child and family welfare - particularly child maltreatment - since 1993. Daryl completed his PhD in 1998 on the topic of "multi-type maltreatment" - looking at the overlap between the various forms of child abuse and neglect, and their relationship to psychological adjustment problems in the immediate and long-term. He has responsibility for overseeing the management of a range of projects at the Institute, including the Institute’s four clearinghouses (or information ‘hubs’): the National Child Protection Clearinghouse, the Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault, the Communities and Families Clearinghouse Australia, and the Australian Family Relationships Clearinghouse. He is also responsible for a variety of projects focused on child protection, family wellbeing, caring for a family member with a disability, and research utilisation in the child and family welfare sector. He recently conducted an evaluation of the Family Court of Australia's Magellan case-management system for responding to serious allegations of sexual abuse or physical abuse of children that are raised in parenting matters.

Specialist areas

Definitions of maltreatment
"Multi-type maltreatment" and the overlap between occurrence of various types of child abuse and neglect
Statutory child protection systems
Child abuse prevention
Psychological adjustment problems associated with child maltreatment
Therapy for sufferers of abuse-related Complex PTSD
Caring for family members with a disability
Community development strategies for protecting children

Selected recent publications

Edwards, B., & Higgins, D. J. (2009). Is caring a health hazard? The mental health and vitality of carers of a person with a disability in Australia. Medical Journal of Australia. 190(7), S61-S65.
Higgins, D. J. & Katz, I. (2008). Enhancing service systems for protecting children: Promoting child wellbeing and child protection reform in Australia. Family Matters, 80, 43-50.
Higgins, D. J., & Kaspiew, R. (2008). ‘Mind the gap...’: Protecting children in family law cases. Australian Journal of Family Law, 22(3), 235-258.
Connor, P. K., & Higgins, D. J. (2008). The ‘HEALTH’ Model – Part 2: The ‘HEALTH’ Model – Part 2: Case study of a guideline-based treatment program for Complex PTSD relating to childhood sexual abuse. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 23(4), 401-410.
Connor, P. K., & Higgins, D. J. (2008). The ‘HEALTH’ Model – Part 1: Treatment program guidelines for Complex PTSD. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 23(4), 293-303.
Higgins, D. J. (2008). Sexual and relational wellbeing: Diversity and commonality. Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 23(1), 109-110.
Edwards, B., Higgins, D. J., Gray, M., Zmijewski, N., & Kingston, M. (2008). The nature and impact of caring for family members with a disability in Australia (AIFS Research Report No. 16). Melbourne: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
Higgins, D. J.(2007). Cooperation and Coordination: An evaluation of the Family Court of Australia’s Magellan case-management model. Canberra: Family Court of Australia.
Higgins, D. J. (2007). Magellan Project evaluation 2006-2007: A brief overview of methodology. Family Matters, 77, 40.
Bromfield, L. M., Gillingham, P., & Higgins, D. J. (2007). Cumulative harm and chronic child maltreatment. Developing Practice, 19, 34-42.
Higgins, D. J. (2007). Families Caring: Diverse care-work of families in Australia. Family Matters, 76, 4-7.
Edwards, B., Higgins, D. J., & Zmijewski, N. (2007). The Families Caring for a Person with a Disability Study and the social lives of carers. Family Matters, 76, 8-17.
Burchill, M., Higgins, D. J., Ramsamy, L, & Taylor, S. (2006). "Workin' together": Indigenous perspectives on community development. Family Matters, 75, 50-59.
Higgins, D. J., Bromfield, L. M., Higgins, J. R., & Richardson, N. (2006). Protecting Indigenous children: Views of carers and young people on "out-of-home care". Family Matters, 75, 42-49.
Irenyi, M., Bromfield, L., Beyer, L., & Higgins, D. (2006). Child maltreatment in organisations: Risk factors and strategies for prevention (Child Abuse Prevention Issues No. 25). Melbourne: National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Australian Institute of Family Studies.
Hayes, A., Weston, R., Gray, M., Qu, L., Higgins, D., Hand, K, & Soriano, G. (2006). Family relationships through life: An illustration of the Australian Institute of Family Studies' Research Plan (2006-2008). Family Matters, 73, 4-12.
Cashmore, J. A., Higgins, D. J., Bromfield, L. M., & Scott, D. A. (2006). Recent Australian child protection and out-of-home care research: What's been done - and what needs to be done? Children Australia, 31(2), 4-11.
Holzer, P. J., Higgins, J., Bromfield, L. M., Richardson, N., & Higgins, D. J. (2006). The effectiveness of parent education and home visiting child maltreatment prevention programs (Child Abuse Prevention Issues No. 24). Melbourne: National Child Protection Clearinghouse, Australian Institute of Family Studies.

Presentations