Dr Jan Breckenridge

Research Summary

I have worked, taught and researched in the areas of trauma, domestic and sexual violence, gender issues and child abuse for twenty-five years. My research provides a focus for my commitment to these areas and I have consistently received research funding, presented my research at National and International conferences, and published my work in these specified and related areas. I have also developed and regularly taught specialist practice electives in the UNSW undergraduate BSW program in the areas of trauma and sexual and domestic violence, which include research-informed components on therapeutic and community responses to both adults and children. I have a commitment to action and other participatory research projects.

UNSW Research Profile

Teaching

Postgraduate Research Supervision
Single parenting and donor conception
Recognition of prior learning in vocational education and training - its role in identity construction and potential for personal transformation
Domestic violence and the workplace

Publications

BOOKS

Breckenridge, J. & Carmody, M. (eds.) (1992) Crimes of Violence - Australian Responses to Rape and Child Sexual Assault. Sydney : Allen and Unwin

Breckenridge, J. & Laing, L. (eds.) (1999) Challenging Silence – Innovative responses to sexual and domestic violence. Sydney : Allen and Unwin

ARTICLES, CHAPTERS AND TEACHING PACKAGES

Breckenridge, J (1992) An Exotic Phenomena? Incest and child rape in Crimes of Violence - Australian Responses to Rape and Child Sexual Assault . Sydney: Allen and Unwin pp 18-37.

Breckenridge, J and Berreen, R. (1992) Dealing with Mother - Blame : Workers' responses to incest and child sexual abuse. in Crimes of Violence - Australian Responses to Rape and Child Sexual Assault . Sydney:Allen and Unwin pp 97-108.

Breckenridge , J. (1992) ‘A Skilled Incompetent ?’ - in The Challenge of Competencies in Social Work Education Conference Proceedings, National Conference and Consultancy on Competencies auspiced by the Australian Association of Social Workers. Adelaide pp 94 - 112.

Breckenridge, J. (1994) Equipped for Intervention: Worker’s Attitudes to, and Experience of Training in Child Sexual Assault in the Disc Proceedings of the First National Conference on Child Sexual Abuse Melbourne : 5-9 March pp 1-17.

Greer, P. and Breckenridge, J. (1992) They throw the rule book away: Sexual Assault in Aboriginal Communities. in Crimes of Violence - Australian Responses to Rape and Child Sexual Assault. Sydney: Allen and Unwin pp 189-196.

Breckenridge, J. (1994) Intervention in Child Welfare - An Inflicted Evil or a Solicited Response?in Wearing, M. and Berreen, R., (eds.) Welfare and Social Policy in Australia Harcourt Brace : Sydney pp 137-154.

Breckenridge, J. (1995) The Socio-Legal Relationship in Child Sexual Assault in Swain, P. (ed) In the Shadow of the Law- The Legal Context of Social Work Practice The Federation Press : Sydney pp 29-45.

Vinson, T., Baldry, E. and Breckenridge, J. (1995) Tertiary Educational Coverage of Sexual and Domestic Violence in New South Wales pp 1-88

Breckenridge, J. (1995) Tertiary Learning Package : Adult Sexual Assault pp 1 - 58

Breckenridge, J. and Laing, L. (1995) Tertiary Learning Package : ‘Amira’s Story’ - An Example of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder pp 1 - 37

Baldry, E., Breckenridge, J., Vinson, T. and Wearing, M. (1995) Strategies for Addressing Sexual and Domestic Violence in Tertiary Curricula pp 1-19

Breckenridge, J. and Baldry, E. (1997) ‘Challenging Mother-Blame in Child Sexual Assault - Is Feminism a Point of Resistance ?’ in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, Vol. 6(1) Haworth Press, Inc.:USA pp 65 - 79

Breckenridge, J. (1999) Of Subjugation and Silences the Role of the Professions in Shaping cultural Understandings of Sexual and Domestic Violence in Breckenridge, J. and Laing, L. Challenging Silence - Innovative responses to sexual and domestic Violence Sydney : Allen and Unwin pp 1-27

Breckenridge, J. (2002) The Socio-Legal Relationship in Child Sexual Assault in Swain, P. (ed) In the Shadow of the Law- The Legal Context of Social Work Practice Second Edition The Federation Press: Sydney pp 74 - 89

Breckenridge, JM., and Ralfs, C., (2004) Point of Contact - Frontline Response Framework PADV Stage One, Federal Government, Adelaide

Breckenridge, J. and Ralfs, C., (2004) Point of Contact - Evaluation Report, Federal Government, Adelaide

Breckenridge, J., Cunningham, J., and Jennings, K. (2005) Respond SA Evaluation Report, July – December 2004 A Project funded by the South Australian Department of Family and Communities

Breckenridge, J. and Ralfs, C., (2006) Point of Contact Front-Line Workers Responding to Children Living with domestic Violence in Humphreys, C. and Stanley, N. Domestic Violence and Child Protection – Directions for Good Practice Jessica Kingsley Publishers: London pp 110-123.

Baldry, E, Bratel, J. and Breckenridge, J. (2006) Domestic Violence and Children with Disabilities: Working Towards Enhancing Social Work Practice in Australian Social Work Vol.59, No, 2 June pp185-197

Breckenridge, J. (2006) Speaking of Mothers…How Does the Literature Portray Mothers Who Have a History of Child Sexual Abuse? In Journal of child Sexual Abuse Volume 15, Number 2 pp 57-74

SELECT CONFERENCE AND GUEST LECTURE PRESENTATIONS

What's to Become of Child Protection? - Preliminary Indications from Doctoral Research. Paper presented at National Australasian Conference on Child Protection. Macquarie University April 1990

Worker's Perceptions of Mothers' Knowledge of Child Sexual Abuse Occurring Within the Family - Fact or Fiction? - Paper presented at the Fourth International Congress on Women’s Health at Massey University, New Zealand, November 1990

Victims of Violence: Are Their Voices Really Heard? Keynote Hypothetical Panel at the National Families and Violence Conference, co-sponsored by Centacare Australia and the Australian Catholic University. Sydney, February 1994

Equipped for Intervention? : Worker’s Attitudes to and Experiences of Training in the Area of Child Sexual Assault. Invited paper delivered at the First National Conference on Child Sexual Abuse. Melbourne, April 1994

Vinson, T., Baldry, E. and Breckenridge, J. (1995) The Educational Coverage of Child Sexual Assault in Health and Welfare Tertiary Curricula in the State of NSW - Implications for Prevention Paper delivered at the European Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect in Oslo

Breckenridge, J., Baldry, E., Vinson, T. and Wearing, M. (1998) Addressing Sexual and Domestic Violence in the Professional Education of Health Workers. Paper delivered at the Australian Association of Social Work and Welfare Education Conference, Cairns, September.

Breckenridge, J and Davidson, J. The impact of mothers’ own history of child sexual assault in their child’s therapy – help or hindrance? Paper delivered at the Expanding our Horizens - understanding the complexities of violence against women - International Conference - February 2002, Sydney University, Australia

Breckenridge, J. and McNamara, L. Counsellors’ Perceptions of the Helpfulness of Therapeutic Strategies Used to Address Child Sexual Assault. Invited Paper delivered at the Unravelling the Complexities of Family Violence…a Holistic Approach - Coffs Harbour, 7-8 March 2002.

Breckenridge, J. (2002) Selecting Strengths – The impact of mothers’ own history of child sexual assault in their child’s therapy Paper delivered at the Australian Association of Social Work Conference – Perth, October

Breckenridge, J (2003) The impact of a mother’s own history of child sexual assault in their child’s therapy – help or hindrance? Paper delivered at the BASPCAN Fifth National Congress on Child Maltreatment - York University, York, July

Breckenridge, J. and Ralfs, C. (2003) Point of Contact: Responding to Kids and DV, a Front-line Response Framework Paper delivered at the BASPCAN Fifth National Congress on Child Maltreatment - York University, York, July

Breckenridge, J. and Ralfs, C. (2003) Point of Contact: Responding to Children Who Are Affected by Domestic Violence - a non-therapeutic, front-line response framework Paper delivered at the Ninth Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect – Sydney, November

Breckenridge, J. and Laing, L. (2004) Listening to Mothers and their Children –Implications for Counselling in Child Sexual Assault. Paper delivered at the International Social Work Congress in Adelaide, October 2004

Breckenridge, J. and Ralfs, C. (2004) Hearing the Voices of Children Living with Domestic Violence. Paper delivered at the International Social Work Congress in Adelaide, October 2004

Baldry, E, Bratel, J. and Breckenridge, J. (2006) Providing a Voice for Children with Cerebral Palsy Who Live with Domestic Violence. Paper delivered at the 7th International Looking After Children Conference in Sydney, August 2006.

Breckenridge, J. and Mulroney, J. (2006) Leaving Home - Leaving Violence Promoting Choices for Women Leaving Abusive Partners. Paper delivered the International Conference on Violence Against Women, Canada, October 2006.

Breckenridge, J., Cunningham, J., Jennings, K. and Sloan, J. (2006) Talking About Childhood Sexual Abuse: Experiences of disclosure and help-seeking. Paper delivered to the International Conference on Violence Against Women, Canada, October 2006.

Affiliations and Memberships

Director, Centre for Gender-Related Violence Studies