Justice Collaboration 

Monthly Update 

24th Edition, October 2026

Welcome to the Justice Collaboration’s October update!

The University of Sydney's Justice Collaboration aims to improve justice outcomes and to ultimately prevent crime.

The University of Sydney has numerous strengths in this area and has a track record of work across disciplines, faculties and research centres directly and indirectly relevant to justice systems and people in conflict with the law. 

In this edition we showcase new publications and projects, recent events and PhD theses from the archives!

New Publication: Have Australians become more lonely and socially isolated?

New research by the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre has found rates of social isolation in Australia nearly doubled from 16.9% to 29.9% over the past 23 years. Loneliness rates also increased over time, though more gradually than social isolation, with the sharpest impacts observed among vulnerable populations. The study examined 23 years of nationally representative HILDA (Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia) data from 2001-2023. This longitudinal analysis provides some of the first long-term national evidence on trends in loneliness and social isolation in Australia. Social isolation describes an objective state of limited social contact, social engagement or meaningful relationships, whereas loneliness is the subjective perception that one’s actual social relationships fall short of those desired.

The sharpest rise of episodic and chronic loneliness and social isolation was among young adults (16–29) after the 2000s, and older adults (65+ years) reported the highest levels of episodic and chronic loneliness (scale), and both forms of isolation rose, reflecting vulnerability linked to health decline and loss of ties. The authors suggest that the rise in chronic loneliness among young adults may reflect growing digitalization, as well as financial and housing stress, which contributes to more anxiety, depression and time spent alone. The research also revealed that loneliness and social isolation were consistently more common among people who were unemployed, lived in a more socioeconomically disadvantaged area, were widowed, living alone, or had lower levels of education.

The research, published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, can be accessed for free here.

Human Services Hub: Rhythm and Blues - Sleep Disturbances in Youth Mental Health

Last month, Collaboration Director Associate Professor Garner Clancey hosted the third Human Services Hub Event. The Human Services Hub is an initiative at the University of Sydney to provide students who might work in one of the many human services with an opportunity to hear from practitioners, learn skills, develop professional networks and to receive updates on relevant policy reforms. This event focused on sleep disturbances and research careers. Students heard from Dr Min Chong and Dr Jacob Crouse - two members of the Brain and Mind Centre’s Youth Mental Health and Technology Team - whose work investigates the link between circadian dysregulation and mental ill-health. Dr Chong and Dr Crouse spoke about their research and the digital interventions they are currently trialling. Students heard about the current MELODY Trial which is investigating the use of melatonin, placebo or an online digital cognitive-behavioural therapy program for insomnia (dCBT-I) over a 12-week intervention period. Students also heard about the Minding Your Mind App which features comprehensive tracking of sleep, activity, mood, symptoms, and behaviours to give users a more detailed picture of themselves and provide them with personalised insights and evidence-based strategies to help them manage their own mental health. Dr Chong and Dr Crouse also shared reflections on their own careers and gave tips and hints for students interested in careers in research or academia. Students heard fantastic advice about finding their passion, building a village of mentors, and being resilient in the face of rejection. 

New Publication: Self-compassion and avoidant coping as mediators of the relationship between childhood maltreatment and mental health and alcohol use in young adulthood

Exposure to childhood maltreatment increases the risk of mental health and substance use problems and understanding the mechanisms linking maltreatment to these problems is critical for prevention. A new article co-written by Collaboration Affiliate Dr Lucy Grummitt examines whether self-compassion and avoidant coping mediate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and mental ill-health and alcohol use. Self-compassion refers to the tendency to be understanding and caring towards oneself, rather than critical, in the face of stressors or personal shortcomings. In contrast, the use of avoidant coping strategies such as denial that the stressor exists, distraction from the stressor with other activities, and using alcohol or other drugs in an attempt to cope with stressors may serve a purpose in the short term, but is considered maladaptive and can often be ineffective in the longer term.

Australians aged 18–20 years at baseline were recruited through social media and professional networks. Participants (n = 568) completed an online survey, and were followed up annually for two subsequent surveys. The research revealed that childhood maltreatment predicted greater mental health symptoms (b = 0.253, 95 % CI = 0.128–0.378), and alcohol use (b = 0.057, 95 % CI = 0.008–0.107). Both self-compassion (b = 0.056, 95 % CI = 0.019–0.093) and avoidant coping (b = 0.103, 95 % CI = 0.024–0.181) mediated the relationship between maltreatment and mental health. Additionally, avoidant coping, but not self-compassion, mediated the relationship (b = 0.040, 95 % CI 0.020–0.061) with alcohol use. However, when controlling for pre-existing mental health and substance use, neither self-compassion nor avoidant coping mediated the relationship with mental health. Only avoidant coping mediated the link with alcohol use (b = 0.010, 95 % CI = 0.001–0.020). Findings suggests that by adulthood, self-compassion and avoidant coping may not explain future change in mental health symptoms; however, avoidant coping accounts for change in alcohol use across early adulthood. Reducing avoidant coping may prevent hazardous alcohol use across young adulthood among people exposed to childhood maltreatment.

The article, published in Child Abuse & Neglect, can be accessed for free here.

New Research: Smart Glasses and Harassment

Research by the ARC-funded Governing Immersive Tech Project with Collaboration Affiliate Dr Milica Stilinovic suggests that smart glasses pose new harassment risks. The emerging global study, involving the analysis of hundreds of social media videos linked to pick-up artist communities, is finding that men wearing smart glasses approach women with the aim of winning their phone number or Instagram handle. They then share that online for audience engagement, entertainment and social proof. Some of the women in the study were filmed at work, the gym, or the beach in swimwear.

The early findings from an analysis of 350 publicly available Instagram videos from around the world during 2023 to 2026 show that these videos frequently involve boundary-pushing behaviour, including persistent engagement following signs of discomfort or refusal. In a subset of covert POV videos, around 60 per cent of interactions were classified as potential harassment, with many subjects displaying visible unease or attempting to disengage. A key feature of this phenomenon is the integration of recording with social media platforms. Smart glasses allow users to upload or livestream content with minimal friction, meaning interactions can be rapidly transformed into widely distributed digital media. This creates a second layer of harm beyond the initial encounter. In around 43 percent of videos analysed, women were further exposed to abusive online commentary, some even revealing the woman’s personal details. Researchers say current laws and platform moderation systems are not equipped to handle harms that are covert, context-dependent and difficult to detect. Existing platform moderation systems are primarily designed to detect clear, visible violations, such as explicit harassment, nudity, or threats. The research team is calling for clearer consent standards, stronger platform accountability and new design requirements for wearable devices to ensure people know when recording is taking place.

You can find out more about the Governing Immersive Tech Project here and read about their emerging research here. 

Bridges Inside: Sharing Space (September)

Last month, Bridges Inside hosted members of the About Time Writers’ Network. Drawing on personal experience, creative writing, and reflection, the session explored food as a symbol of memory, identity, connection, and care in custodial settings. Attendees heard from writers with firsthand experience of incarceration who, through personal stories and original compositions, highlighted how individuals interpret food, even in highly regulated environments. Some writers spoke about how food inside transcends mere sustenance. From communal to solitary meals, and from recipes from home to prison gardens, buy-ups, and acts of generosity among inmates, food may become the language of community, resilience, and belonging. Other writers shared the difficulties and dangers surrounding food and meals during incarceration. 

Photo credit: Dr Mini Malekpour

Many PhD theses developed at the University of Sydney over the years may be of interest to those working in criminal justice. We are going to highlight some of these freely available theses in this and upcoming newsletters. 

An Exploration of the Lived Experiences of First-Generation Arab Immigrant Men in Sydney who Engage in Substance Use - Walaa Mansour M Ayad (2024)

Over the years, the number of people of Arab descent who are displaced because of political conflicts has reached unprecedented levels. With more than 60 million people displaced because of conflicts across the Middle East and the larger Arab World, the majority of the Arabs are forced to migrate to other countries, presenting a wide range of challenges, including acculturation issues, resettlement issues, and potential exposure to substance use. This qualitative study aimed to explore and understand the lived experiences of first-generation Arab immigrant men in Sydney, Australia who engage in substance use. The study attempted to assess how first-generation Arab immigrant men in Sydney describe their experience with substance use, the perceived facilitators associated with substance use, and the professed barriers to overcoming substance use. Qualitative research methods and Interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to explore the formulated study problem, detailing selected theories used for this study and the rationale. The findings showed that Arab immigrants in Australia face challenges of resettlement. The culture shock owing to the wide-scale social differences contributes significantly to these difficulties. Further, a career background in a professional working environment increases the likelihood of successful integration into Australia, allowing Arab immigrant men to settle seamlessly and proceed with life normally. The findings of this study enlighten authorities in Sydney, social service providers, and rehabilitation centres on the cultural integration and social settling among Arab immigrants and how it improves their predisposition to crime and engagement in substance use in Sydney, Australia

Walaa Mansour M Ayad's thesis can be accessed for free here. 

Is there dignity in justice? An exploration of young peoples’ lived experiences of contact with the broad Australian legal landscape - Lynette Stevenson (2023)

This study raises awareness of adolescents’ responses to practice interactions with the variety of legal actors who work within the broad range of formal and informal contexts and settings that together comprise the Australian legal system; an area of social work research that is largely unexplored. A qualitative framework influenced by feminist poststructural, intersectional and response-based concepts was utilised to explore an overarching research question: “How do emerging adults perceive and make sense of their lived experiences of legal actors’ practices during their earlier interactions in Australian legal settings?”. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted in a democratic and collaborative research space. In focussing attention to adolescents’ lived experiences through the  contrast and comparison of the accounts of 10 emerging adults and 10 legal actors, this inquiry opened opportunities to disrupt discursive practices that essentialise adolescents and highlighted interconnections between legal actors’ power, and adolescent dignity and resistance. Analysis confirmed that the legal system can be broadly defined to include formal contexts in which legal actors are subject to practice rules often guided or interpreted by judicial officers in court contexts. Additionally, that the legal system’s broader definition also extends to environments outside these formal contexts, to non-formal contexts not governed by practice rules, allowing for individual interpretations of practice interactions. Analysis reveals the two groups share common perceptions including: that adolescents have clear understandings of the performance of relations of power across contexts; the connection between youth resistance and asymmetries of power; and, that youth responses to practice interactions can involve experiencing emotional and mental distress. Findings also reveal that positive dignity experiences framed within positive social responses are linked to positive experiences of power even in the face of negative legal outcomes. Ultimately, youth dignity is indicated as the key component of supportive, meaningful and effective direct practice that lowers risk of emotional and mental harm for adolescents in contact with the legal system. Discussion includes the prospect that future practice in the legal system should be founded on relational and ethical practice competencies underpinned by an ethic of justice-doing, ensuring legal actors authentically interact with, and attend to adolescents as unique multiple-identitied human beings.

Lynette Stevenson's thesis can be accessed for free here. 

Tomorrow: Bridges Inside - Sharing Space (October)

Second Chance Kitchen: Hospitality Training & Mentorship for Justice-Involved Young People

Second Chance Kitchen is a cooking initiative that runs out of NSW Youth Justice Centres, providing hands-on hospitality training and mentorship to justice-involved young people. Launched in 2023 by chef Mitch Orr and Plate It Forward’s founder and CEO Shaun Christie-David, the initiative continues the work of the Plate It Forward movement by turning to food and hospitality as a way to offer opportunity, dignity, and community to incarcerated young people. Currently, Second Hand Kitchen delivers six-week cooking and hospitality courses to young people in juvenile detention centres, building skills, confidence, and work readiness through hands-on experiences with guest chefs and other mentors. In this session of Bridges Inside, Shaun and Alexandre Henrique Vieira Reis, a graduate of the Second Chance Kitchen program, will discuss the vision and impact of Second Chance Kitchen, and give insight into what it means to offer a space at the table for those inside the justice system.

Details: 

Thursday 8 October, 2026

Time: 4-5:30pm 

Venue: Rogers Room, John Woolley Building (A20)

You can find out more about this event and register here.

Next Week: Careers in Criminal Justice and Human Services

We invite University of Sydney students and staff to the fourth Human Services Hub event, where a panel of criminal justice and human services practitioners share their journeys.

This careers event will include a panel with three outstanding criminal justice and human services practitioners. They will share stories from their careers, how they got started, what roles opened up to them once they had a 'foot in the door', what advice they would give to make the most of your degree and how to plan for employment.

Speakers include:

Dr Evelyne Tadros is CEO of the Mental Health Coordinating Council and an Adjunct Associate Professor in Psychiatry and Mental Health at UNSW. She holds a Doctorate of Health Science and a Master’s in Child and Adolescent Health from the University of Sydney, and serves as a Board Director with St Vincent de Paul Society NSW and the Electricity & Water Ombudsman. Despite the titles, it’s her two teenage boys who reliably keep her grounded.

Sarah Ellis is a justice-sector specialist with a Master’s degree in Criminological Research and a career spanning youth justice, child safeguarding, corrective services, and policing across the UK and Australia. A Winston Churchill Fellow who investigated bullying and harassment in juvenile custody, she is driven by a lifelong commitment to improving outcomes for young people and those navigating the justice system.

Sindy Wang is a data analyst at the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research. Her work focuses on Closing the Gap, domestic violence and youth justice. She graduated with first class honours from the University of Sydney in 2021 and her criminology career began at the Sydney Institute of Criminology.

Collaboration Director Associate Professor Garner Clancey will facilitate this panel discussion.

Details: 

Tuesday 13 October, 2026

Time: 5-6.30pm

Venue: Law Foyer, Level 2, New Law Building (F10)

Registration: Free, but registration is required.

Students and staff can find out more about the event and register here.

ANZOC Conference 2026: Justice reimagined: Bold ideas, real impact.

The Australian and New Zealand Society of Criminology (ANZSOC) 2026 Conference will be held in Adelaide, Kaurna Land, on 1-3 December 2026, hosted by Flinders University.

Held in South Australia for only the third time, the ANZSOC 2026 theme Justice Reimagined: Bold Ideas, Real Impact is designed to inspire new ways of looking at crime and justice.

ANZSOC 2026 will also feature pre-conference workshops on 30th November for 1) post-graduates; 2) industry policy makers and practitioners; and include a range of social events. The conference will be held by the beach in beautiful Glenelg.

Dates: 1 - 3 December 2026
Location: Stamford Grand Glenelg Beach, Adelaide, SA

Early Bird Registration is now open. You can find out more about the conference and register here.

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