The Benevolent Society is committed to undertaking high quality research that adds to the evidence around what works to create caring and inclusive communities and a just society.
Research plays an important role in helping to achieve results in communities and to grow our knowledge, leadership and capacity to influence social change in Australia.
The Benevolent Society is currently involved in a number of research projects with partner organisations from academia, government and the community sector.
Current research
- Creating social cohesion and adressing disadvantage in Australian communities.
- Children and young people's views on social capital and agency in their community.
- Brain development in early childhood.
- The impact of area level unemployment on children's development in New South Wales.
- Translation of research on community aged care into practice-friendly resources. Read our previous Briefings.
Recent research projects
No Way To Live looks at the experiences of women who have separated from a violent relationship and have had to negotiate parenting arrangements through the Family Law Courts. Read the research snapshot and the full report.
Growing Communities Together studied the social capital of school students in socially disadvantaged communities, and the relationship with child outcomes.
Families on the Fringe examines what motivates young families to relocate to non-metropolitan areas and what impact the relocation has. Read the research snapshot, the full report and a presentation about the research.
Moving Forward looks at what women need to move forward after leaving domestic violence. Read the research snapshot, the full report and presentations about the research.
Research agenda
The Benevolent Society’s 2009-2013 research agenda focuses on a number of priority areas including:
- the health and social inclusion of young children
- ageing well and the social inclusion of older people
- the role of communities in improving outcomes for individuals
- community safety and domestic violence
- evidence informed policy and practice.
Research partnerships
We partner with individuals and organisations to conduct research across a range of social issues. To discuss potential research partnerships with The Benevolent Society, please contact Andrew Anderson, andrewa@bensoc.org.au or +61 2 9339 8075.
Evidence-informed practice
At The Benevolent Society we explore ways of applying research findings and evidence to our own services, based on the principle that the development of interventions is informed by the most current, relevant and reliable evidence about their effectiveness. Read our paper on evidence-informed practice.
For further information please contact Andrew Anderson, Senior Manager of Research and Evaluation, andrewa@bensoc.org.au or +61 2 9339 8075.
More information
You can find all of our research reports, past and present, by browsing our resources.