Debra Miles

Professor Debra Miles is a social work academic at James Cook University (JCU), specializing in international social work education, child protection systems, and indigenous social justice. Her research focuses on global citizenship education, cross-cultural social work practices, and policy development in youth justice and child welfare. She holds a PhD from JCU (2004) and has authored/co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications.

Key research interests include international student exchange programs, decolonizing social work education, and addressing systemic racism in social welfare systems. Her work emphasizes mutual benefit partnerships in global educational collaborations and improving outcomes for marginalized groups in criminal justice and child protection contexts.

Recent publications analyze sentencing disparities affecting First Nations defendants, youth justice policy design, and the qualifications of homelessness service staff. She has contributed to curriculum development for distance learning and peer-reviewed studies on cultural safety for Indigenous students in field placements.