Andrew Childs

Dr. Andrew Childs is a Lecturer in Criminology at Griffith University's School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and a member of the Griffith Criminology Institute (2022-present). His academic work focuses on the intersection of technology and crime, with particular expertise in cybercrime phenomena.

Dr. Childs' research program blends digital sociology, Science and Technology Studies, and criminological theory to investigate three key areas: the development of online illicit markets, the social organization of cybercrime communities, and the criminogenic affordances of disruptive technologies such as cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and the metaverse. His work has pioneered research into emerging digital crimes, including some of the first published studies on social media drug markets, organized identity fraud during the pandemic, and cryptocurrency scam victimization processes.

Analysis of Dr. Childs' publication record reveals a strong focus on digital drug markets, cryptocurrency crime, and innovative research methodologies. His work spans both theoretical contributions to criminological understanding of online spaces and practical investigations into specific crime phenomena. The consistent appearance of his research in high-impact journals demonstrates the significance and quality of his scholarly contributions to the field.

Dr. Childs has received notable recognition for his work:

• 2023 Student Experience of Teaching (SET) Survey Commendation
• Three research outputs featured in Altmetric's Top 5% of all research outputs tracked
• Work cited in policy documents from 15 different countries
• Regular media commentary for outlets including ABC News, BBC News, and VICE

Dr. Childs has secured significant research funding, including an ECR Research Grant valued at $72,761 for retail fraud research and a Griffith Criminology Institute Strategic Development Grant of $6,093 for research on online retailer fraud services. He currently supervises multiple doctoral students on projects related to cybercrime, including research on financial institution partnerships to prevent child sexual exploitation and dark web drug marketplace disruptions. As of August 2025, his work has received 408 citations with an h-index of 7 (Google Scholar) and a Field-Weighted Citation Impact of 2.12 (SciVal).

Based at Griffith University's Nathan Campus, Dr. Childs is an active member of the Griffith Criminology Institute and the Arts Education and Law Group, contributing to interdisciplinary research on crime, justice, and technology.