Susan Baidawi

Monash University (Australia) · Department of Social Work

Background: Children in out-of-home-care (OOHC) are a vulnerable population, typically with complex needs, however there is minimal research examining the behavioural presentations that lead to the increased use of acute emergency care by OOHC children. Objective: This study aimed to describe differences in lifetime complexity factors identified du...

Young people transitioning from out-of-home care (OOHC), commonly known as care leavers, are widely recognised internationally as a vulnerable group often subject to disadvantage. Yet, most studies of their pathways and outcomes to date have been completed in affluent Global North countries, and there have been relatively few reports on their exper...

Individuals who have experienced child protection system involvement are over-represented in criminal justice systems. This group faces greater risks of serious offending and justice system entrenchment relative to their peers without child protection system contact. Understanding the pathways from child protection to adult criminal justice system...

This exploratory study was commissioned by The Home Stretch campaign. It sought to identify and describe measures (e.g. legislation, policies, or strategies), in Australian or international contexts, that complement leaving, post-care and extended care policies, with a view to improving the life outcomes of care leavers. This includes special provi...

The high representation of children involved across both child protection and youth justice systems remains a pressing concern. Contributing factors include unnecessary police intervention for behavioural difficulties in residential care, and deficient systems integration particularly between child protection and youth justice. Policy reforms in th...

Concerns about institutional child sexual abuse within Jewish communities have been documented in two recent national enquiries into child sexual abuse, in Australia, and England and Wales. Yet to date, there has been little analysis of how media reporting informs public awareness of these concerns, and potential programme and policy responses. Thi...

This study sought to generate new knowledge about children aged 10 to 13 years who are charged with offending, including their characteristics and support needs, the application of doli incapax provisions with this group, and their offending, criminal justice outcomes and trajectories. The study analysed data from national criminal justice statisti...

This paper outlines a retrospective follow-up study of all Victorian children aged 10 to 13 years with police contact for alleged offending in 2017 (N=1,369). The sample comprised relatively few 10-and 11-year-olds, while boys and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children were over-represented. Most alleged offending was non-violent (71%), par...

This study sought to generate new knowledge about children aged 10 to 13 years who are charged with offending, including their characteristics and support needs, the application of doli incapax provisions with this group, and their offending, criminal justice outcomes and trajectories. The study analysed data from national criminal justice statisti...

This report sets out the findings of a series of linked studies drawing together evidence about place based approaches (PBAs) to reduce youth violence. The project was commissioned by the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) to support its key strategic work using PBAs and undertaken by a research consortium consisting of the Centre for Evidence and Implemen...

This report outlines the findings of a series of research completed between 2019-22, funded by a Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA) Fellowship from the Australian Research Council (DE190101104). This series explored the needs, characteristics and outcomes of crossover children, whilst examining other intersecting factors such as gender,...

Numerous studies show that children and young people in out-of-home care (OOHC) face significant disadvantage in completing high school and accessing post-secondary education. The current research involved a two-round Delphi survey which aimed to identify educational challenges and school reforms to improve the educational experiences of children a...

The Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (The Disability Royal Commission) commissioned this research to improve understanding of the pathways that lead children with disability from their contact with child protection system to entering the criminal justice system. The research also looked at ho...

Each Australian state and territory have a designated Children’s Court operating under a separate legal framework. This chapter provides an overview of the various jurisdictional approaches to responding to juvenile offending and victimisation in Australian courts, canvassing issues such as age of criminal responsibility, effective representation a...

Young people transitioning from out-of-home care often experience an abrupt end to the support to which they have been accustomed. Formal support from social workers and other professionals ceases or reduces depending on the policy and legislative frameworks for supporting care leavers in particular jurisdictions. Regardless, formal support for the...

The over-representation of children from child protection backgrounds in youth justice systems presents a long-standing concern. This study adds to a growing body of research that identifies how such dual system youth differ from other criminal court-involved youth. It also investigates heterogeneity among dual system youth based on the concurrent...

The objective of this background paper is to provide a timely summary of the key issues faced by older people who are leaving, or who have left, prison and need health, aged care and/or social services. This background paper is particularly seeking to inform those working outside the correctional sector in policy or practice areas that concern olde...

Children and young people’s access to and engagement in education is a key determinant of future positive outcomes. Children and young people in out-of-home care disproportionally experience educational disruptions and disengagements affecting their ability to participate in schooling, further and higher education. There is increasing international...

International literature suggests that many young people transitioning from government care become parents before age 21, characteristically termed ‘early parenting’, at least in the English-speaking world. Yet there is only limited knowledge of the factors that lead to this challenging responsibility. This paper presents findings from a qualitativ...

Children placed in residential care are significantly over‐represented in youth justice systems. Drawing on interviews and focus groups with service providers, this exploratory study examines practice factors that impact on the criminalization of this group of children across multiple services and systems, including in the residential care environm...

Maltreated and child welfare-involved youth are over-represented in juvenile justice systems. These youth are at a greater risk of serious offending and justice system entrenchment relative to their non-maltreated peers. Understanding gender differences in the pathways to justice involvement and the nature of offending among maltreated children is...

Background The disproportionately high number of Aboriginal crossover children traversing child protection and youth justice systems is a longstanding concern across countries with historic legacies of settler-colonialism. Aims This study explored what key stakeholders who directly work with Aboriginal crossover children perceive are the unique ch...

Purpose: The purpose of this commentary is to draw upon available literature and practices related to COVID-19 and management of older incarcerated adults in Australia to highlight key matters for better risk management and care of this population during this and future infectious disease pan/epidemics. Design/methodology/approach: The present c...

Although neurodisability features significantly across child welfare and youth justice cohorts, little research investigates neurodisability among crossover children with dual systems involvement. This study examined differences in childhood adversity, child protection involvement, and offending among crossover children by neurodisability status. D...

Child maltreatment research is increasingly recognizing the need to capture patterns of co-occurrence between different types of abuse/neglect and to consider their associations with psychosocial functioning. Few studies have examined these issues in justice-involved youth despite the fact that rates of maltreatment and trauma-related psychopatholo...

Background While at higher risk, child protection-involved youth are the subject of negligible research focusing on the criminal exploitation of children by adults. Purpose This exploratory study examines criminal exploitation of ‘crossover’ children, those traversing the child protection and youth justice systems, in Victoria Australia. It examin...

Young people with complex support needs frequently experience multiple intersecting forms of disadvantage including experiences of violence, abuse and neglect, housing instability and homelessness, problematic substance use, exclusion from education, and contact with the criminal justice system. Many of these young people have mental health, cognit...

The over-representation of children from child protection backgrounds in the youth justice system is a significant and longstanding concern. While the association between child maltreatment and youth offending is established, the pathway of child protection-involved youth to criminal justice outcomes has received little attention. This paper presen...

This study is a collaboration between Monash University and the Children’s Court of Victoria. It was funded both by a Criminology Research Grant (CRG 03/15-16) from the Australian Institute of Criminology and by the Victorian Department of Justice and Regulation, and undertaken between July 2016 and August 2018. The study set out to examine the ext...

The over-representation of children from child protection backgrounds in the youth justice system is a significant and longstanding concern. While the association between child maltreatment and youth offending is established, the pathway of child protection-involved youth to criminal justice outcomes has received little attention. This paper presen...

Child protection-involved youth face increased risk of criminal justice system contact. Such “crossover children” experience earlier police involvement and more serious criminal justice sanctions, yet little is known about their early offending. Using a cross-sectional sample of 300 crossover children before three Victorian Children's Courts in 201...

"Crossover" Children in the Youth Justice and Child Protection Systems explores the outcomes faced by the group of children who experience involvement with both child protection and youth justice systems across several countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. Situated against a backdrop of interna...

Case file information and the views of professionals are drawn together in this chapter to illuminate the nature of crossover children’s offending. This chapter provides an overview of offence types,offending volume, and sentencing outcomes seen among crossover children. What is shown is that crossover children in this study were more frequently ch...

Devising effective strategies to respond to the phenomenon of crossover children is best supported by a detailed and holistic understanding of their individual and family characteristics, alongside the pathways this group of children traverse through education, health, and welfare systems. This chapter presents information gathered from court recor...

The study findings confirm the vulnerability of children whose early life adversity and systemic disadvantage can propel them into early criminal justice involvement. Support and intervention in relation to preventing maltreatment and other harms, responding to educational needs, developmental trauma, mental and behavioural health needs, and disabi...

Children receiving statutory child protection services due to abuse, neglect, or parental incapacity are considerably more likely to come under the supervision of youth justice services compared to other children in the community. These are internationally observed trends, identifiable across numerous Western contexts including in Australia, the Un...

Child protection-involved children experience disproportionately high criminal justice system contact, yet little is known about the circumstances in which such children offend. This study sought to identify the contexts in which this group of children offend and factors associated with children being charged in each context. A mixed-methods analys...

A number of studies have found that working with family groups can be successful in improving outcomes for young people and their families. This article reports on a study in New South Wales in which juvenile justice staff offered collaborative family work interventions to young people as part of the routine offerings of a juvenile justice service....

Young people with complex support needs who live outside metropolitan areas face unique challenges. Issues such as poor educational and employment opportunities, homelessness, racism, problematic substance use, challenging behaviour, disability and mental illness can be magnified and lead to judgment and marginalisation in small communities such as...

This chapter reports on exploratory research in Victoria, Australia, involving focus groups and interviews with service providers and Indigenous care leavers to examine the impact of existing support services. Indigenous children and young people are highly overrepresented in the Australian out-of-home care system. To date, neither specific researc...

The over-representation of acquired brain injury (ABI) amongst prisoner and juvenile justice populations is a significant issue across jurisdictions. This article reports on the findings of over 100 interviews conducted in Victoria, Australia with people who have an ABI, as well as key stakeholder groups who work in, or with, the justice system. Th...

This article focuses on the issues currently facing people with an acquired brain injury (ABI) in the criminal justice system in the state of Victoria, Australia and, in particular, the impact of this condition on people suffering various forms of social disadvantage. This qualitative study involved in‐depth interviews with key stakeholders, such a...

This chapter examines the engagement of social work academics in the policy process in Australia. It begins by presenting an overview of social policy in Australia and by discussing the emergence of social work and the place of policy practice in that country. The features of social work education in Australia are then depicted. Following this, the...

The Australian welfare state Australia possesses one of the most selective income support systems in the Western industrialised world. Financial assistance is provided on a flat rate basis, funded from general taxation revenue rather than via contributions from workers and employers. In contrast to many European welfare states, Australia did not in...

This book explores the interface between social work academia and social policy in diverse societies across the globe. It does so by employing a unique cross-national comparative perspective and by focusing upon a field of academic and professional activity in which engagement in socially-relevant activities and those related to the policy process...

Physical and functional health issues among older prisoners may be difficult to address in an environment designed for younger inmates. This article investigates the relationships between older prisoners’ health, their experiences of the prison environment and health services, and their levels of psychological distress. One hundred and seventy-thre...

This paper compares the contributions of socio-demographic, health, mental health, social and environmental factors in explaining variations in psychological distress among older prisoners in two Australian states. One hundred and seventy three prisoners (aged 50+ ) from 8 Australian prisons were interviewed using the Kessler Psychological Distress...

Parental incarceration has wide-ranging impacts on families. One key effect may be disruption to the care and legal custody of children, yet few studies have examined processes and outcomes relating to care planning for children of prisoners. This paper presents findings of interviews with 151 primary carer prisoners in two Australian states which...

Indigenous children and young people are overrepresented in the Australian out-of-home care (OOHC) system. To date, specific research has not been undertaken on workers' perspectives regarding the Indigenous-specific and non-Indigenous supports and services available to Indigenous young people exiting the system. This exploratory research involved...

This study investigates relationships between older prisoners’ social experiences and their levels of distress. One hundred and seventy three older prisoners (aged ≥50 years) from eight Australian prisons were administered the Kessler Psychological Distress (K10) Scale, with additional information collected via individual interviews. Psychological...

Indigenous children and young people are over-represented at all stages of the Australian child protection system. Policy and legislative initiatives exist in the state of Victoria, Australia aiming to support the connection between Indigenous children and young people in state care and their culture and community. This exploratory research involve...

This report presents the findings of a 14 month exploratory study of Indigenous care leavers in Victoria. The study aimed to examine current leaving care and post-care systems available to Indigenous care leavers, paying particular attention to relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous agencies, and differences in their approach to servic...

A significant proportion of young people leaving out-of-home care (OHC) experience involvement with the Youth Justice system, exposing them to further risks and reducing their likelihood of full social and economic engagement in mainstream society. However, little is known about the experiences of this dual order client group as they transition fro...

Background: The growth among older prisoner populations, including in Australia, necessitates an understanding of this group in order to generate effective management strategies. One particular concern is the mental well-being of older prisoners. This study aimed to determine the level of psychological distress among sentenced prisoners aged 50 ye...

Older prisoners are the fastest growing subgroup of inmates in many countries, including in the US, UK, Germany, Japan, New Zealand and Australia. Older people constitute a special needs group of prisoners, and further information regarding this population is required to facilitate appropriate responses by correctional services. One particular conc...

Older people constitute the fastest growing age group among many prisoner populations worldwide, yet little is known about the mental wellbeing of this population. This article reviews research examining the level of psychological distress experienced by older prisoners, as well as the factors associated with this phenomenon. Findings suggest that...

Probation officers and others who work with young offenders often challenge or confront their clients in relation to pro-criminal comments and criminal behaviour. There is, however, very little research that can inform practitioners about which forms of challenging most effectively engage young people. This study examines the use of challenging by...

Older prisoners are the fastest growing age group within many correctional systems worldwide, including in Australia. As the average age of the prison population continues to rise, the issue of how to identify and manage the health care needs of the expanding older prisoner group becomes ever more pressing. This Evidence Check provides a summary of...

Young people leaving state out-of-home care are among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable young Australians, and a substantial proportion experience mental health issues. This article reviews the literature relating to the mental health of care leavers, highlighting the gaps in the current Australian research base. Available studies indicate that...

While it has been recognised for some time that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people are significantly over-represented among youth justice populations, there is a dearth of research examining the elements of effective supervision for this group. This article presents the initial findings of a research project based on a partnership b...

Young people transitioning from out‐of‐home care are a particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged group. In recent years, there have been significant improvements in Victorian policy and legislation providing support to care leavers. However, these supports remain discretionary rather than mandatory, and many care leavers experience difficult transi...

Young people transitioning from out-of-home care placements (either home-based care or residential care in Australia) are a particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged group. This study reports on a research project based on a partnership between Monash University and seven non-government child and youth welfare agencies in the Australian State of Vi...

There is considerable evidence pointing towards the growth of older prisoner populations in Australia. This article presents findings from the first large-scale study of older prisoners in Australia (N=173), examining functional independence, aspects of the prison environment which present difficulties for less able older prisoners, the uptake of p...

A significant proportion of young people leaving out-of-home care make their transition to independence via the youth justice system, exposing them to further risks and reducing their likelihood of full social and economic engagement in mainstream society. This article presents the initial findings of a research project based on a partnership betwe...

This paper considers some contentious ethical questions associated with researching young people transitioning from out-of home care. We consider the potential benefits and costs for care leavers of involvement in research, alongside managing limits to confidentiality, and the social, psychological, and legal harms that may arise from breaching con...

Evidence suggests young people leaving state care are at a greater risk of involvement with the Youth Justice system compared to young people in the general population. This report presents the results of the second phase of the Leaving Care and Youth Justice project which aimed to generate a more in depth understanding of the involvement of care l...

Local and international research suggests an overrepresentation of young people leaving state out-of-home care in the youth justice system. A range of factors appear to contribute to this correlation including child abuse and neglect, placement instability, experiences of residential care, and unsupported transitions from care. This article present...

Corrections statistics in Australia indicate a clear trend towards increased numbers of older prisoners and the growth of this inmate group is paralleled in prisons in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand. Older prisoner populations present a number of challenges for governments, correctional administrators, healthcare providers and co...

Corrections statistics in Australia indicate a clear trend towards increased numbers of older prisoners and the growth of this inmate group is paralleled in prisons in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand. Older prisoner populations present a number of challenges for governments, correctional administrators, healthcare providers and co...

Existing research findings indicate that young people from state care backgrounds experience higher rates of substance use and misuse than the general population. This study explored the nature of this relationship via semi-structured, qualitative interviews with four young people who had recently transitioned from state care and three workers in t...