James Herbert

APrf James Herbert

Research Associate Professor

Australian Centre of Child Protection

College of Education, Behavioural and Social Sciences

Available For Media Comment.

Associate Professor Herbert is a social researcher and evaluator focused on the development, implementation, and delivery of effective social programs. In particular his research focuses on the interaction of criminal justice, child protection, and mental health systems in responding to children affected by abuse, and characteristics of successful collaborations across sectors.
PhD Thesis: The influence of evaluation on human service practitioner learning : an analysis of two case studies of practitioners' experiences of evaluation: https://researchdirect.westernsydney.edu.au/islandora/object/uws:21258  

Multi-Agency Deliberation: Stemming from my previous research on multi-agency responses to child sexual abuse, I am interested in exploring the effects of multi-agency case review deliberation on child safety decisions. This research will examine whether case review meetings incorporating different disciplines and agencies result in changed perceptions of risk and ultimately decisions that are more predictive of risk in historical case vignettes. The intent of this research is to inform how to implement an effective multi-agency deliberation process for child abuse teams but equally applies to other types of multi-agency teams. 

Accessibility of Therapy Post-Disclosure: Also related to my previous work on multi-agency responses I am engaged in research on improving the accessibility of therapy for children and young people following disclosure of child sexual abuse. The quality of systems to support children and families following disclosure have a strong effect on the likelihood of completing and in turn benefiting from therapy. I hope to undertake research to inform the development and design of interventions to improve the accessibility of therapy following a forensic interview.

Post-Doctoral Fellowship on Effective Cross-Agency Responses: My previous fellowship focused on research and evaluation on approaches to improving responses to sexual abuse in Western Australia. This included undertaking evidence reviews on the effectiveness of cross-agency teams, undertaking a review of practices across Australia, research with the University of New Hampshire on the components of Children's Advocacy Centres in the United States, and the development and evaluation of a new cross-agency approach in Western Australia called the Multi-agency Investigation & Support Team (MIST). This body of work resulted in the adoption of MIST as the preferred model for child abuse investigations for WA Police.

Year Citation
2025 Cox, S., Parkinson, S., Herbert, J., Tucker, E., Octoman, O., & Bromfield, L. (2025). Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for children and young people who have experienced forms of child maltreatment other than child sexual abuse: a review of the evidence. Children and Youth Services Review, 170, 1-19.
DOI
2025 Parker, N. J., Scott, C. M., Herbert, J. L., & Rowe, W. (2025). Facilitating multidisciplinary team functioning in child and youth advocacy centres using shared mental models. International Journal on Child Maltreatment Research Policy and Practice, 8(2), 227-249.
DOI
2025 Herbert, J. L., Paton, A., Deuter, K., & Horch, G. (2025). Effect of multi-disciplinary deliberation on perceptions of risk and recommended actions in response to child abuse. Children and Youth Services Review, 178(108536), 1-9.
DOI
2024 Herbert, J. L., & Paton, A. (2024). Effects of therapy at a community based trauma therapy service treating child abuse and neglect: a pre-post study using administrative data. Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma, 17(3), 735-749.
DOI
2023 Schutz, C. A., & Herbert, J. (2023). Review of the evidence for neurofeedback training for children and adolescents who have experienced traumatic events. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 24(5), 3564-3578.
DOI Scopus6 Europe PMC3
2022 Herbert, J. L. (2022). A study of evaluation influence in two child protection programs. Evaluation Review, 46(6), 683-708.
DOI
2022 Seekamp, S., Ey, L. A., Wright, S., Herbert, J., & Tsiros, M. D. (2022). Service delivery goals and underlying interprofessional practices: a scoping review to support interprofessional collaboration in the field of child protection. Children and Youth Services Review, 143(article no. 106680), 1-10.
DOI
2021 Herbert, J. L., & Bromfield, L. M. (2021). A quasi-experimental study of the Multi-Agency Investigation & Support Team (MIST): a collaborative response to child sexual abuse. Child Abuse and Neglect, 111(104827), 1-15.
DOI
2021 Herbert, J. L., Ghan, N., Salveron, M., & Walsh, W. (2021). Possible factors supporting cross-agency collaboration in child abuse cases: a scoping review. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 30,(2), 167-191.
DOI
2021 Westphaln, K. K., Regoeczi, W., Masotya, M., Vazquez Westphaln, B., Lounsbury, K., McDavid, L., . . . Walsh, W. (2021). Outcomes and outputs affiliated with Children's Advocacy Centers in the United States: a scoping review. Child Abuse and Neglect, 111(104828), 1-14.
DOI Scopus15 Europe PMC7
2020 Herbert, J. L., & Bromfield, L. (2020). Worker perceptions of the multi-agency investigation & support team (MIST): a process evaluation of a cross-agency response to severe child abuse. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 29(6), 638-658.
DOI
2019 Herbert, J. L., & Bromfield, L. M. (2019). Multi-disciplinary teams responding to child abuse: common features and assumptions. Children & youth services review, 106(104467), 1-11.
DOI
2019 Herbert, J. L., & Bromfield, L. (2019). Better together? A review of evidence for multi-disciplinary teams responding to physical and sexual child abuse. Trauma, violence, & abuse, 20(2), 214-228.
DOI
2018 Stout, B., Dadich, A., Hosseinzadeh, H., & Herbert, J. (2018). Living on the edge: juvenile justice work as a form of edgework. Crime, law and social change, 69(3), 371-384.
DOI
2018 Herbert, J. L., Walsh, W., & Bromfield, L. (2018). A national survey of characteristics of child advocacy centers in the United States: do the flagship models match those in broader practice?. Child abuse & neglect, 76, 583-595.
DOI
2017 Blakemore, T., Herbert, J. L., Arney, F. M., & Parkinson, S. (2017). The impacts of institutional child sexual abuse: a rapid review of the evidence. Child abuse and neglect, 74, 35-48.
DOI
2016 Herbert, J. L., & Bromfield, L. (2016). Evidence for the efficacy of the Child Advocacy Center model: A systematic review. Trauma, violence and abuse: a review journal, 17(3), 341-357.
DOI
2015 Herbert, J. L. (2015). Towards program evaluation for practitioner learning: human service practitioners' perceptions of evaluation. Australian social work, 68(4), 438-452.
DOI
2015 Drake, G., & Herbert, J. L. (2015). Leaving a licensed boarding house: transcending trans-institutionalisation with person-centred transitions. Disability and society, 30(4), 583-596.
DOI
2014 Thomas, L., Herbert, J., & Teras, M. (2014). A sense of belonging to enhance participation, success and retention in online programs. International journal of the first year in higher education, 5(2), 69-80.
DOI
2014 Herbert, J. L. (2014). Researching evaluation influence: a review of the literature. Evaluation review, 38(4), 388-419.
DOI
2014 French, E., Summers, J., Kinash, S., Lawson, R., Taylor, T., Herbert, J., . . . Hall, C. (2014). The practice of quality in assuring learning in higher education. Quality in Higher Education, 20(1), 24-43.
DOI

Year Citation
2023 Rimer, P., St Amand, A., Herbert, J., Nadeau, D., & Walsh, W. (2023). Conclusion. In A. Amand (Ed.), Source details - Title: Contemporary and Innovative Practices in Child and Youth Advocacy Centre Models (pp. 375-384). Canada: University of Quebec Press.
DOI
2023 Herbert, J., Walsh, W., Rimer, P., St Amand, A., & Nadeau, D. (2023). Introduction - Contemporary and Innovative Practices in Child and Youth Advocacy Centre Models. In A. Amand (Ed.), Source details - Title: Contemporary and Innovative Practices in Child and Youth Advocacy Centre Models (pp. 1-8). Canada: University of Quebec Press.
2023 Herbert, J. (2023). Utilization of therapy at a Child Advocacy Centre following suspected/substantiated child sexual abuse. In A. St-Amand (Ed.), Source details - Title: Contemporary and Innovative Practices in Child and Youth Advocacy Centre Models (pp. 349-374). Canada: University of Quebec Press.
2023 Herbert, J., & Walsh, W. (2023). Best practices multidisciplinary team (MDT) investigations. In T. Huizar, & P. Dilorenzo (Eds.), Source details - Title: Child Sexual Abuse: Practical Approaches to Prevention & Intervention (pp. 73-91). US: Child Welfare League of America.
2021 Orsillo, S. M., Roemer, L., Block Lerner, J., Lejeune, C., & Herbert, J. D. (2021). ACT para los trastornos de ansiedad. In L. Valero Aguayo, J. Virues Ortega, L. Aguayo, & J. Virues-Ortega (Eds.), Source details - Title: A Practical Guide to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (pp. 107-136). Spain: ABA Spain.
DOI
2020 Herbert, J. L., Bromfield, L., Arney, F., & Blakemore, T. (2020). Impacts of institutional child sexual abuse: what we have learned from research and the Royal Commission into institutional response to child sexual abuse private sessions. In I. Bryce, & W. Petherick (Eds.), Source details - Title: Child Sexual Abuse: Forensic Issues in Evidence, Impact, and Management (pp. 221-240). UK: Academic Press.

Year Citation
2024 Ey, L. A., Herbert, J., & Bromfield Smith, L. (2024). Development of a multi-agency framework for responding to harmful sexual behaviours in children and young people in South Australia. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2024 Herbert, J., Deuter, K., Paton, A., & Horch, G. (2024). Multi-agency deliberations on abuse risk - short report 2 vignettes and instrument. Australia: Australian Centre for Child Protection.
DOI
2024 Herbert, J., Deuter, K., Paton, A., & Horch, G. (2024). Multi-agency deliberations on abuse risk: main report. Australia: Australian Centre for Child Protection.
DOI
2024 Herbert, J., Deuter, K., Paton, A., & Horch, G. (2024). Multi-agency deliberations on abuse risk: short report 1 - deliberation study. Australia: Australian Centre for Child Protection.
DOI
2023 Paton, A., Parsons, V., Pitts, C., Adamson, K., Bromfield, L., Horch, G., . . . Burgess, S. (2023). Minimum practice standards: specialist and community support services responding to child sexual abuse. Australia: National Office for Child Safety.
2022 Horch, G., Herbert, J., Parsons, V., & Paton, A. (2022). Baseline analysis of specialist and community support services for victims and survivors of child sexual abuse: literature review summary - revised. Australia: National Office for Child Safety.
2022 Burgess, S., Paton, A., Thain, E., Herbert, J., Edgeworth, P., & Russell, E. (2022). Improving practice together: Victorian group supervision model: final recommendations report and jurisdictional scan. Australia: University of South Australia, Australian Centre for Child Protection.
DOI
2022 Herbert, J., Octoman, O., & Bromfield, L. (2022). Review of data and outcomes for the Permanency Support Program (PSP): data roadmap. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2022 Paton, A., Bromfield, L., Moore, T., Ey, L. A., Burgess, S., Cox, S., & Herbert, J. (2022). Framework for understanding and guiding responses to harmful sexual behaviours in children and young people. Australia: Department of Communities.
2022 Herbert, J. (2022). Sexual assault services (NSW Health) reflections on the Joint Child Protection Response Program. Australia: Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia.
2022 Herbert, J., Paton, A., Bromfield, L., & O'Donnell, M. (2022). Parkerville therapeutic treatment model client outcome review. Australia: Pursuit of Excellence In Responding to Child Abuse and Neglect In Western Australia.
2021 Herbert, J. (2021). Factors influencing therapy use following a disclosure of child sexual abuse. Australia: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
2021 Herbert, J. (2021). Rates of therapy use following a disclosure of child sexual abuse. Australia: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
2021 Herbert, J., & Paton, A. (2021). Scan of harmful sexual behaviour therapeutic models. Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2018 Herbert, J. L., & Bromfield, L. (2018). National comparison of cross-agency practice in investigating and responding to severe child abuse. Australia: Australian Institute of Family Studies.
2017 Herbert, J., & Bromfield, L. (2017). Multiagency Investigation & Support Team (MIST) pilot: evaluation report. South Australia: University of South Australia.
DOI
2017 Herbert, J., & Bromfield, L. (2017). Components of effective cross-agency responses to abuse - a report for the NSW Ombudsman's Office. New South Wales: NSW Ombudsman's Office.
DOI
2017 Herbert, J., & Bromfield, L. (2017). National comparison of cross-agency practice in investigating and responding to severe child abuse - A report for the NSW Ombudsman's Office. New South Wales: NSW Ombudsman's Office.
DOI
2016 Herbert, J. L., & Bromfield, L. (2016). Evaluation of the multi-agency investigation & support team pilot: interim report. Australia: Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia.

  • Developing Standards to Address Secondary Institutional Betrayal, UniSA-Donation via Foundation, 26/01/2026 - 08/12/2028

  • Impact of the Barnahus model in Europe, Oak Foundation, 31/03/2025 - 31/03/2028

  • Co-design implementation support and evaluation for the Specialist Harmful Sexual Behaviours Pilot Program, WA Dept of Communities, 08/01/2024 - 07/07/2026

  • Monitoring and Evaluation Framework - Abu Dhabi Child Protection System, I-Strategy& (Middle East) Ltd, 23/06/2025 - 05/12/2025

  • Parkerville – Responding Effectively to Child Sexual Abuse Research Program, Parkerville Children and Youth Care Inc., 01/03/2018 - 07/05/2023

  • SCHEDULE 5 OFFICIAL ORDER 90013947 - IMS Part A, Cwth Dept of Social Services, 16/12/2021 - 28/02/2023

  • Research support for the NSW Ombudsmans Review of the Joint Investigation Response Team, New South Wales Ombudsman, 07/10/2016 - 31/01/2017

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