Dr Divna Haslam

Honorary Senior Lecturer

School of Psychology
Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences

Overview

I am a clinical psychologist and family researcher working in the area of childhood adversity. My work aims to ensure all children have safe, loving, non-violent childhoods they need to thrive. This has spanned clinical intervention development and evaluation of evidence-based behavioural family interventions (Triple P), specific work with families in different contexts (e.g., working parents, parents across different cultures), and epidemiological work most notably on the Australian Child Maltreatment Study which generated the first national prevalence estimates of child abuse and neglect in Australia.

As an academic I have over >70 published peer-reviewed papers primarily in Q1 journals and invited chapters. I have also published a number of clinical resources including clinical and research instruments and the Workplace Triple P Program. I have received $>1.7 million in external research funding. My work aims to have a direct impact on policy and practice and I have substantial experience in consulting with various governments (eg Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK) about the implementation of evidence-based parenting programs and more recently about the identification and prevention of child maltreatment and other childhood adversity. In 2023 I was appointed by the Attorney General to serve on the Queensland Family and Child Commission's Child Death Review Board which is tasked with making recommendations to the government on systematic change to improve child safety across the state.

Research Impacts

I am an international leader in knowledge generation, particularly around parenting and the use of parenting support to reduce violence toward children. 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 seven 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. 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.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
  • Bachelor (Honours) of Arts, The University of Queensland
  • Bachelor of Arts, The University of Queensland

Publications

View all Publications

Supervision

View all Supervision

Publications

Book Chapter

  • Haslam, Divna M. and Mejia, Anilena (2018). Accommodating race and ethnicity in parenting interventions. The power of positive parenting: transforming the lives of children, parents, and communities using the Triple P system. (pp. 332-343) edited by Matthew R. Sanders and Trevor G. Mazzucchelli . New York, NY, United States: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/med-psych/9780190629069.003.0030

  • Haslam, Divna M. and Penman, Nicole (2018). Parenting support in the workplace. The power of positive parenting: transforming the lives of children, parents, and communities using the Triple P system. (pp. 262-271) edited by Matthew R. Sanders and Trevor G. Mazzucchelli. New York, NY, United States: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/med-psych/9780190629069.003.0023

  • Burke, Kylie, Haslam, Divna and Butler, Keny (2018). Policies and services affecting parenting. Handbook of parenting and child development across the lifespan. (pp. 551-564) edited by Matthew R. Sanders and Alina Morawska. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-94598-9_24

  • Haslam, Divna M. and Burke, Kylie (2018). Work, poverty, and financial stress. Handbook of parenting and child development across the lifespan. (pp. 495-510) edited by Matthew R. Sanders and Alina Morawska. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-94598-9_21

Journal Article

Conference Publication

Other Outputs

PhD and MPhil Supervision

Current Supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy — Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor

Completed Supervision