Kay Bussey

Professor Kay Bussey is affiliated with Macquarie University’s School of Psychological Sciences and the Lifespan Health and Wellbeing Research Centre. She holds roles as Unit Convenor in courses like Applied Child and Adolescent Psychology and Advanced Issues in Child Abuse and Neglect. Her research focuses on bullying, cyberbullying, mental health outcomes in adolescents, gender identity development, and the impact of social media on youth. She has collaborated internationally, including a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University under Albert Bandura and ongoing involvement as a Visiting Scholar.

Education: Kay earned her PhD in Developmental and Clinical Psychology from the University of Queensland, preceded by studies at the University of Queensland and University of Oregon (USA). She also completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Stanford University.

Research Interests: Kay’s work centers on Bandura’s social cognitive theory, examining sociocognitive factors like self-efficacy and moral disengagement in bullying contexts. She investigates mental health outcomes such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders linked to victimization, as well as strategies to empower bystanders as defenders. Her studies also address gender identity development, children’s lie-telling behavior, parenting practices (including physical punishment), legal system participation of children, and social media’s dual role in development and body image issues.

Scientific Awards: Kay has received notable recognitions including the Commonwealth Postgraduate Research Award (1975), Commonwealth Undergraduate Scholarship (1971), Early Career Award (1982), Excellence in Research for Supervision (2015), and a Fulbright Fellowship (1977).

Grants and Advising: She leads projects such as ‘Reducing Cyberbullying: Turning Bystanders into Constructive Defenders’ (2022–2025) and collaborates on studies like ‘Prevalence of Eating Disorders in Adolescent Australians’ (2017–present). Her supervision spans PhD and master’s students researching topics from moral responsibility to internet pornography’s impact. She actively contributes to academic committees and editorial boards, including the British Journal of Developmental Psychology and the Psychology of Men and Masculinities Journal.

Labs and Teams: Kay is part of Macquarie University’s Centre for Emotional Health and Centre for Children’s Learning in a Social World. She advises the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse and participates in BRNET (Bully Research Network), leveraging interdisciplinary networks to address bullying and child welfare challenges.