Dr Ey has three key research strands; (1) Harmful Sexual Behaviour, (2) Impact of Sexulised Media and Media Literacy, and (3) Bullying in Early Childhood. Dr Ey’s research is child-centric and aims to support the wellbeing of children. Her early research focused on ‘Young children’s engagement with contemporary music media and their gender role and self-identity development’ (Doctorate 2014). Her research has progressed to exploring children’s harmful sexual behaviour in education settings, with the aim of supporting teachers to effectively recognise and respond to such behaviour; and to inform teacher training and curriculum. Dr Ey’s current research also explores and seeks to promote... Read more
About me
Dr Ey has three key research strands; (1) Harmful Sexual Behaviour, (2) Impact of Sexulised Media and Media Literacy, and (3) Bullying in Early Childhood. Dr Ey’s research is child-centric and aims to support the wellbeing of children. Her early research focused on ‘Young children’s engagement with contemporary music media and their gender role and self-identity development’ (Doctorate 2014). Her research has progressed to exploring children’s harmful sexual behaviour in education settings, with the aim of supporting teachers to effectively recognise and respond to such behaviour; and to inform teacher training and curriculum. Dr Ey’s current research also explores and seeks to promote an understanding of bullying amongst young children, their parents and early childhood teachers. She is a full member of the Research in Educational and Social Inclusion Concentration (RESI) and an affiliate member of the Australian Centre for Child Protection (ACCP). She has served on the University of South Australia Research Ethics Committee and was the Research Ethics Advisor in Education Futures (2022-2021).
Harmful Sexual Behaviour
Dr Ey’s research related to harmful sexual behaviour informs state/territory and national policy, procedure, training/professional development and curriculum. She is an executive invited member of the National Clinical Reference Group on Harmful Sexual Behaviour, National Office for Child Safety to inform the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse 2021-2030 (National Strategy) and a member of the South Australian harmful sexual behaviour working group run by the Commissioner for Children and Young People (SA). Dr Ey works closely with the Department for Education (SA) and has informed the following curriculum, procedure and training materials (a) Child Protection: Keeping Safe Curriculum, (b) Sexual Behaviour in Children and Young People Procedure and Guideline, and (c) Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect – Education and Care. She also works closely with the Daniel Morcombe Foundation and is currently informing The Australia's Biggest Child Safety Lesson’ (ABCSL) and the E-Safety resource focusing on educating young people about online grooming. Recently she co-developed training modules for Australian educators on harmful sexual behaviour for TES (UK).
Her recent projects include 'Can administrative records inform estimates of the extent and nature of harmful sexual behaviours', funded by the Daniel Morecombe Foundation (2023-2024), Teachers understanding of problematic sexual behaviour and their training needs (2022-2023)’ funded by Catholic Education WA; 'PAST Evaluation of services for children's and young people's harmful sexual behaviour' (2022-2023), funded by Tasmania Department for Communities; 'Protecting children online: Investigation of suspects’ opening chat grooming language and interactions with police decoys (2021-2023), funded by Westpac; 'Parents' knowledge, views and experiences of service responses to children's harmful sexual behaviours' (2021-2022), funded by the Daniel Morcombe Foundation; ‘Children’s problematic sexual behaviour in schools: Identifying and addressing collaborative responses to incidents’ (2021-22), funded by Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation; ‘Service models for children under 10 with problematic or harmful sexual behaviour’ (2018), funded by Sax Institute, and ‘A public health approach to dealing with sexting’ (2015-16), funded by University of South Australia. Dr Ey was seconded by ACCP to work on the projects 'Enhancing Statewide Responses to Harmful Sexual Behaviours WA' funded by the WA Department of Communities (2021-2023), and 'Enhancing Statewide Responses to Harmful Sexual Behaviours SA', funded by the SA Department for Child Protection (2021-2023).
Dr Ey authored ‘Harmful sexual behaviours in young children and pre-teens: An educational issue’: Routledge. She has provided expert advice at the Harmful sexual behaviour seminar, hosted by the Commissioner for Children and Young People Western Australia. Dr Ey’s expertise has also been sought to review Child Protection Policies and Procedures for schools and out of school care organisations. Dr Ey also writes and reviews articles on Harmful Sexual Behaviour for the Raising Children Network.
Impact of Sexualised Media and Media Literacy
Dr Ey’s research focuses on safeguarding children through primary prevention in which she brings an educative lens. Her research explores the impact of sexualised media on children and protective education, including media literacy. She is a member of the American Psychological Association's Division 46 (Media Psychology & Technology) Task Force on the Sexualization of Popular Music (2016-current) where she contributes her expertise on sexualisation of media, online child sexual exploitation, online child sexual abuse and children’s online HSB (e.g., sexting) and media literacy. As part of Division 46, she has contributed to the ‘Report of the Division 46 Task Force on the sexualization of popular music (2018) and the development of an educative website https://collegemusiclit.weebly.com/ , and four journal articles. Recently, members of Division 46 edited a research book 'Getting the best from the digital world: Media literacy across the lifespan’ Cambridge Scholars Publishing (2024) which Dr Ey wrote two chapters.
Bullying in Early Childhood
Dr Ey's research explore teachers'. parents' and childrens' understanding of bullying as well as teacher and parent perspectives and responses. She led 'Adults understand and perspectives of bullying in early childhood' (2019-2021) and 'Co-creating anti-bullying interventions with early childhood educators (CABI-ECE): Supporting Early childhood educators to address bullying in junior primary classes (2018), funded by the Organisation Mondiale Pour L’ Èducation Préscolaire (OMEP). In 2019, she extended this research and was Lead Chief Investigator on the project Parent’s and Teacher’s, of children aged 4-10 years, understanding and perspectives of bullying. Dr Ey was also a Chief investigator on ‘Australia-India Anti-bullying research collaboration (AIARC): Facilitating intellectual and scholarly exchange about school bullying through a cross-cultural network project’ (2014-15) funded by the University of South Australia.
Awards
Dr Ey has received a number of academic distinctions including the 'Excellence in Research Award: Mid Career Researcher' (2022) (Education Futurers UniSA); Research Publication Excellence Award (2020) and the Excellence in Research Award (2020) Centre for Research in Education and Social Inclusion (UniSA); ’Early Career Researcher Award (2018) and a Mid-Career Teacher Commendation (2018) the Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences. In the same year she received an Honourable Mention in Education for Sustainability from OMEP for her research ‘Supporting early childhood educators to address bullying in junior primary classes through the co-creation of anti-bullying interventions and resources’. Dr Ey has previously received the Pro Vice Chancellor Early Career Researcher Networking award at the University of South Australia (2015), and the Outstanding Achievements in International Engagement Award from the project ‘Australian/Indian Anti-bullying Research Collaboration’ (2015).
Teaching
Dr Lesley-anne Ey lectures in Educational Psychology and Child Protection in the Master of Teaching programs. Before undertaking her PhD she taught in Preschools and Primary schools across a variety of government and independent sectors.
About me
Member of the Centre for Research in Educational and Social Inclusion
Member of the Australian Centre for Child Protection
Member - National Clinical Reference Group for Harmful Sexual Behaviours (HSB) under the National Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Child Sexual Abuse
SA harmful sexual behaviour working group, Commissioner for Children and Young People SA:
Executive Committee Member of Early Childhood Australia (ECA), South Australia
Chair – Margaret Trembath Research Scholarship Committee - Early Childhood Australia
Chair - Andrea McGuffog Research Scholarship Committee – Early Childhood Australia
Committee member (OMEP) Organisation Mondiale pour l’Education Préscolaire (World Organisation for Early Childhood Education and Care), South Australian Branch
Member of the Society for Media Psychology and Technology, Division 46 of the American Psychological Association
Member of the Australian Human Development Association
Writer/Reviewer for the Raising Children Network
Reviewer – Journal of Early Childhood Research
Reviewer – Journal of Child Sexual Abuse
Reviewer - Journal of Sex Education
Reviewer – Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media
Reviewer/Advisor - Department for Education South Australia - Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum, Sexual behaviour in children and young people procedure and guideline, Responding to Risks of Harm, Abuse and Neglect Training
Reviewer/Advisor - Daniel Morcombe Foundation - Australia's Biggest Child Safety Lesson and e-safety resources
About me
Doctor of Philosophy University of South Australia
Bachelor of Early Childhood Education (with Honors) University of South Australia
Enhancing Statewide Responses to Harmful Sexual Behaviours WA - Funded by Western Australia Department of Communities
Enhancing Statewide Responses to Harmful Sexual Behaviours SA - Funded by The Department of Child Protection SA
Children’s problematic sexual behaviour in schools: Identifying and addressing collaborative responses to incidents - Funded by Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation
Parents' knowledge, views and experiences of service responses to children's harmful sexual behaviours - Funded by the Daniel Morcome Foundation
Protecting children online: Investigation of suspects’ opening chat grooming language and interactions with police decoys - Funded by Westpac 2021... Read more
Research
Excludes commercial-in-confidence projects.
Enhancing responses to harmful sexual behaviours among teachers and parents: Co-developing training materials and resources, Daniel Morcombe Foundation, 01/04/2024 - 01/03/2027
Can administrative records inform estimates of the extent and nature of harmful sexual behaviours?, Daniel Morcombe Foundation, 09/06/2023 - 01/08/2025
Western Australian Catholic Teacher’s understanding of Problematic Sexual Behaviour and their Training Needs, Catholic Education Office of WA, 03/12/2021 - 15/12/2023
Enhancing Statewide Responses to Harmful Sexual Behaviours WA - Funded by Western Australia Department of Communities
Enhancing Statewide Responses to Harmful Sexual Behaviours SA - Funded by The Department of Child Protection SA
Children’s problematic sexual behaviour in schools: Identifying and addressing collaborative responses to incidents - Funded by Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation
Parents' knowledge, views and experiences of service responses to children's harmful sexual behaviours - Funded by the Daniel Morcome Foundation
Protecting children online: Investigation of suspects’ opening chat grooming language and interactions with police decoys - Funded by Westpac 2021 Safer Children, Safe Communities Grant
Teachers understanding of problematic sexual behaviour and their training needs - Funded by Catholic Education Western Australia
Adult's perceptions of bullying in Early Childhood
Research
Research outputs for the last seven years are shown below. Some long-standing staff members may have older outputs included. To see earlier years visit ORCID, ResearcherID or Scopus
Open access indicates that an output is open access.
Year | Output |
---|---|
2020 |
5
12
|
2020 |
Open access
13
11
4
|
2019 |
Open access
|
2017 |
Open access
16
14
142
|
Year | Output |
---|---|
2024 |
|
2020 |
5
12
|
Year | Output |
---|---|
2024 |
Open access
|
2024 |
Open access
|
2019 |
6
6
|
2018 |
Open access
|
2018 |
Open access
1
|
2018 |
4
|
2015 |
|
2015 |
|
Year | Output |
---|---|
2023 |
Open access
1
2
2
|
2023 |
Open access
2
2
|
2022 |
Open access
4
5
46
|
2022 |
2
3
9
|
2022 |
Open access
|
2021 |
Open access
8
8
178
|
2021 |
Open access
5
2
3
|
2020 |
Open access
11
12
3
|
2020 |
Open access
7
5
|
2020 |
Open access
13
11
4
|
2019 |
Open access
10
6
1
|
2019 |
Open access
7
6
7
|
2019 |
Open access
7
1
|
2019 |
Open access
6
11
|
2018 |
Open access
21
14
3
|
2017 |
Open access
4
|
2017 |
Open access
16
14
142
|
2016 |
Open access
5
4
3
|
2016 |
Open access
7
4
3
|
2015 |
Open access
9
4
1
|
2015 |
Open access
13
1
|
2014 |
4
|
2013 |
Open access
2
|
2011 |
Open access
37
|
Year | Output |
---|---|
2011 |
Open access
|
Year | Output |
---|---|
2023 |
Open access
|
2023 |
Open access
|
2022 |
Open access
|
2019 |
Open access
|
2018 |
Open access
|
2018 |
Open access
|
2017 |
Open access
|
2015 |
Open access
|
2011 |
Open access
|
2009 |
Open access
|
Research
Enhancing Statewide Responses to Harmful Sexual Behaviours WA - Funded by Western Australia Department of Communities
Enhancing Statewide Responses to Harmful Sexual Behaviours SA - Funded by The Department of Child Protection SA
Children’s problematic sexual behaviour in schools: Identifying and addressing collaborative responses to incidents - Funded by Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation
Parents' knowledge, views and experiences of service responses to children's harmful sexual behaviours - Funded by the Daniel Morcome Foundation
Protecting children online: Investigation of suspects’ opening chat grooming language and interactions with police decoys - Funded by Westpac 2021 Safer Children, Safe Communities Grant
Teachers understanding of problematic sexual behaviour and their training needs - Funded by Catholic Education Western Australia
Adult's perceptions of bullying in Early Childhood
Research Focus
Children's Problematic/Harmful Sexual Behaviour
Bullying education in early childhood
Onlice Sexual Exploitation
Sexualised media and children's socio-sexual development
Child protection education
Research Publication Excellence Award – Research in Education and Social Inclusion (RESI) 2020
Excellence in Research Award - Research in Education and Social Inclusion (RESI) 2020
Early Career Researcher Award - Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences 2018
Mid Career Researcher Commendation - Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences 2018
Affiliate with the Australian Centre for Child Protection
Executive Member of Early Childhood Australia and Chair of the Margaret Trembath Research Scholarship Committee (ECA)
Executive Member of the Australian Council for Children and the Media
External engagement & recognition
Organisation | Country |
---|---|
Australian Council on Children and the Media | AUSTRALIA |
Brigham Young University | UNITED STATES |
Charles Sturt University | AUSTRALIA |
Illinois State University | UNITED STATES |
Macquarie University | AUSTRALIA |
Monash University | AUSTRALIA |
Punjabi University | INDIA |
Queensland University of Technology | AUSTRALIA |
Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development | INDIA |
RMIT University | AUSTRALIA |
University of Central Florida | UNITED STATES |
University of Hertfordshire | UNITED KINGDOM |
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | UNITED STATES |
University of South Australia | AUSTRALIA |
Teaching & student supervision
Teaching & student supervision
Supervisions from 2010 shown
Thesis title | Student status |
---|---|
Children's problematic sexual behaviour in schools: Identifying and addressing collaborative responses to incidents | Current |
Evidence based interventions delivered in schools for students who display HSB and students who experience HSB | Current |
Representations of child abuse in the Australian media and their role in public education about child abuse | Current |
Exploring collaborative practice and shared goals for families known to child protection | Completed |
Numeracy learning with digital play in early childhood settings | Completed |