University of Adelaide
Research Field: Justice, Child protection, prevention
Dr Catia Malvaso works to identify evidence-based approaches to prevent children and young people from coming into contact with the criminal justice system, and to improve the outcomes of those who do.
Dr Malvaso focuses more specifically on identifying when, how and for whom experiences of child maltreatment and other adversities lead to offending behaviours in adolescence and adulthood. She collects and analyses data from multiple sources in order to inform prevention strategies that can improve outcomes for children, their families, and communities.
Catia’s outreach and engagement begins with children and young people in youth detention and in out-of-home care in order to better understand their situations and to advocate for better opportunities and outcomes on their behalf. She works closely with government and non-government policy and practice partners to communicate research through infographics, policy workshops, and public forums. She has developed and delivered training packages for practitioners on attachment and intergenerational trauma and delivered workshops on how maltreatment and trauma impact child development and behaviour.
Catia was awarded her PhD in 2018 at the University of Adelaide. She is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Adelaide.