Kerryann Walsh

Kerryann Walsh is a distinguished Professor at Queensland University of Technology with an extensive research portfolio focused on child protection, sexual abuse prevention, and early childhood education. Her work spans over two decades and includes significant contributions to national policy frameworks, evidenced by her involvement with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the Australian Child Maltreatment Study. Dr. Walsh has established herself as a leading expert through numerous publications, research projects, and collaborations with national and international institutions including the World Health Organization and the eSafety Commissioner.

Her research interests center on the critical intersection of child protection and education systems. Dr. Walsh has pioneered work on school-based sexual abuse prevention programs, developing evidence-based frameworks that have informed national policy. She has extensively researched teacher knowledge and reporting duties, early childhood educator preparedness for child protection responsibilities, and the implementation of effective prevention education across diverse educational settings. More recently, her work has expanded to include online safety education, relationships and sexuality education for primary students, and the application of neuroscience to early childhood teaching practices.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a growing emphasis on comprehensive, integrated approaches to child protection that span multiple domains including neuroscience applications in early learning, mental health outcomes following maltreatment, and the development of assessment tools for school readiness in prevention education. Her work consistently demonstrates a commitment to translating research into practical frameworks that can be implemented in real-world educational settings, with particular attention to vulnerable populations including children with developmental disabilities and those in remote educational contexts.

Dr. Walsh has secured significant research funding for projects addressing critical gaps in child protection knowledge, particularly in the areas of online safety education and prevention of harmful sexual behaviors. Her work has directly informed national frameworks including the Best Practice Framework for Online Safety Education developed for the eSafety Commissioner. She has also contributed to major systematic reviews on topics such as child sexual abuse interventions and depression trajectories following maltreatment, demonstrating her commitment to evidence-based approaches that shape policy and practice.

Her research extends beyond traditional academic boundaries through active engagement with policymakers, educators, and community organizations. Dr. Walsh has developed practical tools for schools including the Audit Tool for Assessing Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Content and the Program Assessment Tool for prevention programs. Her work consistently emphasizes the importance of teacher preparation, parental involvement, and system-wide approaches to creating safer environments for children across multiple contexts including schools, online spaces, and community settings.