Dr. Abigail Sheed1,2, Dr Maddison Riachi1,2, Dr. Harry Dent1, Dr. Lisa Forrester2, Dr. Nina Papalia1, Dr. Benjamin Spivak1, University Distinguished Professor James Ogloff1,2
1Centre For Forensic Behavioural Science, Swinburne University of Technology and the Victoria Institute of Forensic Mental Health, Hawthorn, Australia, 2Children's Court Clinic, Children's Court of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
Biography:
Dr. Abigail Sheed is a Research Fellow at CFBS and Clinical and Forensic Psychologist at the Problem Behaviour Program, Forensicare. She also co-leads research projects as part of the Children's Court Clinic industry partnership. Her research explores youth problem behaviour, risk assessment, and child maltreatment.
Dr. Harry J. Dent is a Research Fellow at CFBS. He completed his PhD in 2024 at Victoria University of Wellington, specialising in best-practice interventions for offenders. His expertise includes qualitative research and working with young and vulnerable populations.
Abstract:
Children’s Courts are specialist courts, with magistrates increasingly required to make decisions regarding the care and protection of vulnerable children. To aid in their decision-making, judicial officers in Victoria may request expert psychological assessments from the Victorian Children’s Court Clinic (CCC) – an independent statewide service responsible for conducting psychological and psychiatric assessments for the Children’s Court of Victoria – to answer various questions, including those related to parenting capacity, family dynamics and contact arrangements. To date, there has been little understanding as to how expert psychological reports and testimony are considered by magistrates in family division matters. The results from surveys (n = 4) and interviews (n = 4) with magistrates presiding over family division matters in the Children’s Court of Victoria are discussed. The presentation will explore reasons magistrates refer matters for assessment at the CCC, how they consider the assessments in their decision-making, the components of reports they find most useful, and the characteristics of expert witness psychological testimony they most value.