Adam M. Tomison

Director

Contact details

Tel: (02) 6260 9200
Fax: (02) 6260 9201

Academic qualifications

BSc (Hons) (Deakin)
PhD (Monash)

Selected employment

2009 Director, Australian Institute of Criminology

2009 Assoc Professor and Head of Child Protection Program, Menzies School of Health Research (Darwin)

2008 Acting Director, Family and Children’s Services (FACS), Northern Territory Department of Health and Families (DHF)

2007-2008 Director, FACS Policy and Service Development branch, DHF

2006-2007 Deputy Director (Reform), FACS

2006-2007 Director, Policy and Research, NT Board of Inquiry into the Protection of Aboriginal Children from Sexual Abuse (‘Little Children are Sacred’)

2005-2006 Director, Community Services Policy, DHF

2004-2005 Director, Population and Evaluation, Office of Aboriginal Health Family and Social Policy, DHF

2004-2006 (Inaugural) Principal Child Protection Advisor DHF

2002-2004 Principal Research Fellow, Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS);
Manager, National Child Protection Clearinghouse; Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault; and Training and Support Team of the Stronger Families
Learning Exchange.

1998-2002 Senior Research Fellow, AIFS

1995-1998 Research Fellow, National Child Protection Clearinghouse

Current areas of specialisation/expertise

Child abuse prevention
Violence prevention
Links between different forms of violence
Indigenous child protection and child welfare
Child protection policy and systems development

Publications

Book chapters

Tomison, A.M. and Wolcott, I. (1997). Family Violence. In D. de Vaus and I. Wolcott (Eds.) Australian Family Profiles: Social and Demographic Patterns, (pp.120-127). Melbourne: AIFS.

Reports

Sheehan, G., Carson, R., Fehlberg, B., Hunter, R., Tomison, A., Ip, R. & Dewar, J. (2005). Children’s Contact Services: Expectation and Experience. Canberra: Attorney-General’s Department.

Stanley, J., Kovacs, K., Cripps, K. & Tomison, A.M. (2002). Child abuse and family violence in Aboriginal communities- Exploring child sexual abuse in Western Australia, in Gordon, S., Hallahan, K. & Henry, D., Putting the picture together, Inquiry into Response by Government Agencies to Complaints of Family Violence and Child Abuse in Aboriginal Communities (Appendix 13, pp.534-624). Western Australia: Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Tomison, A.M. (2004). Current issues in child protection policy and practice: Informing the Northern Territory’s child protection review. Darwin: NT Department of Health and Community Services.

Tomison, A.M. (2002). Child protection and child abuse prevention ‘down under’ - Key trends in policy and practice, in M. Hill, A. Stafford and P. Green Lister (Eds), International Perspectives On Child Protection: Report Of A Seminar Held On 20 March 2002, [Scottish Executive Child Protection Review: Protecting Children Today And Tomorrow]. Glasgow: Scottish Executive. Available online at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/CS/UNASS/00015789/pubs_reports.aspx

Tomison, A.M. & Poole, L. (2000). Preventing Child Abuse and Neglect: Findings from an Australian Audit of Prevention Programs. Melbourne: AIFS.

Tomison, A.M. (1997). Overcoming Structural Barriers to the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect: A Discussion paper. Sydney: NSW Child Protection Council.

Tomison, A.M. (1997). Preventing child abuse and neglect in NSW: Findings from a State Audit. Sydney: NSW Child Protection Council.

Papers

Sheehan, G., Carson, R., Fehlberg, B., Hunter, R., Tomison, A., Ip, R. & Dewar, J. (2007).
Divergent expectations and experience: An empirical study of the use children’s contact services in Australia. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, 21 (3), 275–309

Kovacs, K. & Tomison, A.M. (2003). An analysis of current Australian program initiatives for children exposed to domestic violence. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 38(4), 513-539.

Stanley, J., Tomison, A.M. & Pocock, J. (2003). Child abuse and neglect in Australian Indigenous communities, National Child Protection Clearinghouse (NCPCH) Issues Paper no.19, AIFS, Melbourne.

Tomison, A.M. (2003). Preventing child abuse: Changes to family support in the 21st century, NCPCH Issues paper no. 17. Melbourne: AIFS.

Tomison, A.M. (2002). Mandatory reporting: A question of theory versus practice. Developing Practice: The Child, Youth and Family Work Journal, 4, 13-17.

Tomison, A.M. (2001). A history of child protection: Back to the future?, Family Matters, 60, 46-57.

Tomison, A.M. (2000). Evaluating child abuse prevention programs, NCPCH Issues Paper no.12. Melbourne: AIFS.

Tomison, A.M. (2000). Exploring family violence: Linking child maltreatment and domestic violence, NCPCH Issues Paper no.13, AIFS, Melbourne.

Tomison, A.M. (2000). Prevention is better than cure: Exploring strategies for the prevention of child abuse and neglect. Published in the Proceedings of the First ISPCAN Chinese Seminar on the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, (pp.56-69), Xi’an, China, 28 November – 1 December, 1999. [Also translated into Chinese]

Tomison, A.M. & Wise, S. (1999). Community-based approaches in preventing child maltreatment. NCPCH Issues Paper no. 11, AIFS, Melbourne.

Tomison, A.M. (1998). Targeting ‘at risk’ families: An evaluation of the Brimbank Family Outreach Service. Family Matters, 51, Spring/Summer, 46-47.

Tomison, A.M. (1998). Valuing parent education: The cornerstone of child abuse prevention, NCPCH Issues Paper no.10, AIFS, Melbourne.

Tomison, A.M. & Tucci, J. (1997). Emotional Abuse: The hidden form of maltreatment, NCPCH Issues Paper no.8, AIFS, Melbourne.

Tomison, A.M. (1996). Child maltreatment and disability, NCPCH Issues Paper no.7, AIFS, Melbourne.

Tomison, A.M. (1996). Intergenerational transmission of maltreatment, NCPCH Issues Paper no.6, AIFS, Melbourne.

Tomison, A.M. (1995). ‘Child abuse and other family violence: Findings from a case tracking study’, Family Matters, no.41, Winter, 33-38.

Tomison, A.M. (1995). Spotlight on child neglect, NCPCH Issues Paper no.4. AIFS, Melbourne.

Tomison, A.M. (1995). Update on child sexual abuse, NCPCH Issues Paper no.5, AIFS, Melbourne.

Committees/Memberships

Government
Member, NT Child Deaths Review and Prevention Committee (NT Government)
Member, Healthy@Home Plus National Advisory Group (DoHA)
Member, NT Sexual Assault Mobile Outreach Service External Reference Group, (OATSIH, DoHA)

Non-government
Member, International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN)
Member, Editorial Board, Child Abuse and Neglect – the International Journal
Director, National Board National Association for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN)