Douglas Russell and Prof Daryl Higgins, Institute of Child Protection Studies, ACU
Benevolentia, managed by Porticus
Create a more connected and integrated academic and professional network focused on safeguarding in the Church and other sectors.
The Global Safeguarding Alliance (GSA) has engaged the Institute of Child Protection Studies to lead interactions between GSA researchers and Church leaders, safeguarding professionals, trauma specialists and other relevant research end-users in Catholic entities internationally. Our audience will include Church leaders, ministers, clergy, religious men and women (brothers and nuns/sisters), and safeguarding managers.
Our vision is to integrate academic and professional work focused on safeguarding in the Catholic Church. Forming strong connections within a network will facilitate a mutually beneficial exchange of safeguarding knowledge to improve prevention of child sexual abuse, and knowledge about research methods suitable for difference context.
To keep up to date with GSA news and events, follow our newsletter.
SubscribeOur global audience will learn about what kind of safeguarding strategies are being used across the Church in other countries, and how effective they are. They will learn about safeguarding strategies used in different contexts such as education, ministry and social work. And they will increase their knowledge about different types of research design.
We will reach our audience using a range of channels and formats, including webinars, a newsletter and social media platforms. The newsletter will highlight the latest research and profiles of key researchers of safeguarding practice.
Research and knowledge will be shared via series of webinars and resources. Feel free to explore the webinars that have been delivered as part of this partnership.
To receive news about new webinars and resources, subscribe to our newsletter.
SubscribeThe Women's Insights into Safeguarding Efforts in the Catholic Church (WISE) project is a global research project that seeks to understand how women—both religious and lay—experience and view safeguarding practices within the Catholic Church. Safeguarding refers to the policies and actions taken to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm, including abuse.
While the Church has made progress in safeguarding over recent years, especially following major inquiries and reforms, there is still limited research on how women within the Church perceive these efforts. Women often play key roles in safeguarding—whether as educators, carers, or religious leaders—but their voices have not been fully heard.
The WISE Project aims to fill this gap by collecting insights from women across different countries via an online survey. Participants will include nuns, sisters, and lay women who are active in Church life, and women working in the Church (both Catholic and non-Catholic). The study will explore their experiences with current safeguarding measures, their ideas for improvement, and their views on the risks posed by both men and women within Church settings.
Feel free to share survey with women in your network—whether volunteers, staff, religious sisters, or lay women involved in Church life.
Download our media kit content suggestions (PDF, 402KB)
Ethics approval has been given by the Human Research Ethics Committee at Australian Catholic University (Project: 2025-4280E).
Findings will help inform better safeguarding policies and practices and will be shared through reports, published manuscripts, and presentations at conferences. Ultimately, the WISE project aims to support safer Church communities by listening to the voices of women and using their insights to strengthen safeguarding efforts worldwide. If you have any questions, get in touch with our research team at icps@acu.edu.au.
Russell, D.H., Higgins, D. J., Harris, L., Rinaldi, A., Pound, M., & Zollner, H. (2024). The Safeguarding Capability of Adults in Catholic Church Ministries: A Global Perspective. Child Abuse & Neglect, Volume 153, 106801, ISSN 0145-2134.
G, Hunt. (2023). Measuring children's safety in organisations: Evaluating the strengths and limitations of currently-used measures. Giving Evidence.
We publish an occasional newsletter on behalf of the Global Safeguarding Alliance. Each newsletter features updates on safeguarding research and events, and links to past webinars. The newsletter also features a spotlight on someone who has contributed to the dialogue on keeping children and young people safe and working within the system to improve understanding and practice.
20 December 2024: Welcome to our first newsletter, featuring a spotlight on Sr Rejoice Enyonam Hoedoafia, PhD, a founding member of the Global Safeguarding Alliance.
28 March 2025: This issue focuses on women and global safeguarding, and features a spotlight on Coleen Ramirez-Panahon who reflects on the need for compassion through dialogue, knowledge building and reflection.
18 June 2025: We open this issue acknowledging the sad death of Pope Francis and welcome his successor Pope Leo XIV. These momentous events guide our focus on changing futures through our commitment to safeguarding children. Read also a spotlight on Fr Konrad Noronha SJ, based in India.
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