Trajectories of youth re-offending: Exploring opportunities for intervention and prevention in the NT
Chief Investigator: Dr Bernard Leckning
This project will use linked administraive data to better understand how young people in the Northern Territory move through the youth justice system and why some continue to re-offend while others do not. It will identify common pathways of re-offending, work with experts and Aboriginal advisors to determine which pathways should be prioritised, and examine the health, mental health, child protection and social factors associated with them. The findings will help governments and service providers identify opportunities for earlier, more coordinated intervention, improve policies and programs to reduce re-offending, and support better outcomes for young people, particularly Aboriginal young people.

Aboriginal young people and the Northern Territory justice system: apprehension, caution, diversion, charge and detention
Chief Investigator: Dr Bernard Leckning
This project explores why Aboriginal young people in the Northern Territory are far more likely to be apprehended, charged, and sent to detention than non‑Aboriginal youth. Using linked data from police, courts, child protection, health and education—alongside interviews and policy review—the study examines how diversion programs are used, who receives them, and what barriers exist. The aim is to understand why diversion has not delivered lasting improvements for Aboriginal young people and to identify practical changes that could make the justice system fairer, more effective and better aligned with community needs.

From Preschool to Year 3: School engagement of NT remote children
Chief Investigator: Dr Georgie Nutton 
This project explores why many children in remote Northern Territory communities appear in Transition but are missing from Year 3 NAPLAN records. Using linked education, health and social datasets, the study identifies how many children do not reach the Year 3 assessment point and what factors—such as attendance, development, health or family circumstances—are linked to staying engaged in school. The aim is to understand early patterns of disengagement so schools and policymakers can better support children through the crucial early years of learning, ensuring the benefits of preschool continue into primary school.

Youth in Emergency Departments
Chief Investigator: Dr Bernard Leckning
This project examines why young people aged 12–17 in the Northern Territory attend emergency departments so often, and what their broader health, social and wellbeing needs look like. By linking hospital, education, child protection, justice and mental health records, the study identifies the characteristics of young people who present to ED – including those who attend frequently – and the factors driving these patterns. The findings will guide the design of a new youth‑focused model of care at Royal Darwin Hospital, helping ensure young people receive the right support at the right time and improving long‑term outcomes.

Examining the complex needs and behaviours of adolescents in out of home care (OOHC)
Chief investigator: Dr Bernard Leckning
Funding: NT Department of Children and Families
This study will use linked administrative data to better understand the needs and experiences of adolescents in out-of-home care in the Northern Territory. It will describe patterns of care, examine health, mental health, education and youth justice needs, identify groups of young people with similar support needs, and investigate factors that influence outcomes before, during and after care. The findings will help identify opportunities for earlier intervention, improve coordination between child protection, health, education and justice services, and inform policies and programs that strengthen support for adolescents in care, particularly Aboriginal young people, as they transition to adulthood.

Family violence by adolescents in the NT
Chief Investigator: Dr Hoang Phan
This project investigates why some adolescents in the Northern Territory use violence against family members and whether early exposure to domestic and family violence contributes to this behaviour. Using linked police, child protection and justice data, the study examines patterns of DFV in adolescence and the backgrounds of young people involved. The aim is to build evidence that helps policymakers design better responses and supports for families, and to guide strategies that prevent violence and improve safety and wellbeing for young people and their households.

Mental health care after self-harm hospitalisation among children and youth in the Northern Territory of Australia
Chief Investigator: Dr Bernard Leckning
This study will use linked administrative data to examine the mental health care received by Northern Territory children and young people after they are hospitalised for self-harm. It will describe the characteristics of young people admitted to hospital, compare the experiences of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal adolescents, and identify factors associated with receiving timely community mental health follow-up. The findings will help identify gaps and barriers in aftercare, inform improvements to mental health services, and support more equitable, culturally appropriate follow-up care to reduce the risk of repeated self-harm and improve outcomes for vulnerable young people.

Profiles of early childhood adversity and their outcomes in middle childhood
Chief Investigator: Professor Gary Robinson
Menzies PhD Student: Samuel Gele
This study will determine if we can use routinely collected administrative data and machine learning (ML) techniques to identify patterns of early childhood adversity (ECA) and better understand how it affects children's health, development and education. ML will be used to develop profiles of ECA between birth and six years of age and examine how these profiles are associated with preventable hospital admissions, school attendance and academic achievement during middle childhood. The findings will help identify children most likely to benefit from early support, improve coordination between health, education and child protection services, and inform policies that promote healthier developmental pathways, particularly for Aboriginal children and families.

Patterns of public community-based mental health service use and outcomes among children and adolescents in the Northern Territory: A whole-population data linkage study
Chief Investigator: Dr Bernard Leckning
Menzies PhD Student: Sintayehu Alemayhu
This study will use linked government data to understand how children and adolescents in the Northern Territory use public community-based mental health services and what influences their outcomes. It will examine patterns of service use, identify factors associated with successful and unsuccessful treatment, and investigate which young people are most likely to require emergency department or hospital care after leaving mental health services. By exploring links with education, child protection, physical health and youth justice, the research will provide evidence to improve service planning, support earlier intervention, and strengthen culturally safe, effective mental health care, particularly for Aboriginal children and adolescents.

The trends and effects of prenatal alcohol use on birth, development, and educational outcomes: a Longitudinal Data analysis of mothers and children in the Northern Territory, Australia
Chief Investigator: Professor Steve Guthridge
Menzies PhD Student: Behailu Derseh
This project investigates how common alcohol use during pregnancy is in the Northern Territory and how it affects children’s health, development and learning. Using long‑term linked data, the study follows mothers and their children from birth through early schooling to see whether alcohol exposure in pregnancy is linked to problems such as low birth weight, developmental delays or poorer academic performance. It also tracks trends in alcohol use over time. The goal is to provide evidence that helps improve prevention, support and services for NT families, leading to healthier pregnancies and better outcomes for children.

Maternal mental health-related hospitalisation (MHrH) in the first postnatal year and its effect on child outcomes in the Northern Territory (NT) of Australia
Chief Investigator: Professor Steve Guthridge
Menzies PhD Student: Demeke Belay
Maternal mental health problems sometimes lead to hospitalisation in the year after childbirth. This project studies how often that happens for Northern Territory mothers and whether it affects their children’s health, safety, development and schooling. Using linked NT datasets, the research follows children from birth through early school years to see if those whose mothers were hospitalised face higher risks – such as illness, child protection involvement, developmental vulnerability or poorer attendance and learning. The aim is to provide evidence that helps improve support for mothers and better outcomes for NT children.

Does otitis media increase the risk of conductive hearing loss in Aboriginal children living in the Northern Territory?
Chief Investigator: Dr Jiunn-Yih Su
This project examines whether common ear infections in early childhood lead to hearing loss among Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory. By linking clinical ear health records with hearing test results, the study compares children diagnosed with different types of otitis media to those without these conditions to see who is most at risk of mild or more serious hearing loss. The aim is to provide evidence that helps clinicians identify children who need early referral and treatment, improving language development and long term learning outcomes for children in remote and urban NT communities.