Dr. Alhassan Abdullah is a Teaching and Research Lecturer in Social Work at the College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Australia. His research primarily embraces issues affecting the wellbeing of children and families. Specifically, his work focuses on child neglect and abuse, family violence, child protection mechanisms (both statutory and community-based) and culture in child protection

Alhassan has carried out cross-cultural research in Ghana, Nepal, Hong Kong, Korea and China. Alhassan’s approach to research and scholarship brings theoretical rigor to the study of child maltreatment and family violence, and adopts a cultural lens to investigate indigenous community-based protective measures against child maltreatment. His value commitments theory (part of his PhD thesis) highlights how cultural norms and values on parenting regulate the efficacy of protective actions by community members in observed child maltreatment cases. His co-authored general theory of polyvictimization (3-dimensional polyvictimization theory) generate insight into the unique subjective experiences when forms of maltreatment co-occur.

Alhassan has published over 40 peer-reviewed articles (over 20 as first author) in leading social work journals, and four book chapters. He is a member of the Editorial Board of Practice: Social Work in Action, and a special guest reviewer of Journal of Social Services Research. He is a recipient of the ResilienceCon promising research scholar award and has received over $120,000 (USD) in international competitive research grants (both as PI and CO-I). He is also the co-I for a UNICEF study of violence against school children in Tunisia.  

Accepting PhD Students 

Contact me if interested in researching issues related to child and family wellbeing and cultural issues in child protection, or specific issues such as; child neglect and abuse, child protection, kinship care, foster care, polyvictimization, family and domestic violence, child participation, community partnerships, culture in child protection and CALD families and child protection. 

Research Interests

• Child protection
• Child abuse and neglect
• Family violence
• Kinship and foster care
• Community partnerships for child maltreatment prevention
• Culture in child protection