Dr Gemma Hamilton

Dr Gemma Hamilton's research focuses on violence against women and children, with expertise in family violence, sexual assault, and forensic interviewing. She is also a sessional lecturer in Justice and Legal Studies, where she has coordinated subjects such as Introduction to Criminal Psychology (Course code: JUST2323), and Forensic Interviewing (Course code: JUST117). 

Dr Hamilton is skilled in both qualitative and quantitative research. In October 2016, she won a prize for her research on interviewing Aboriginal children about child sexual abuse: the CHASS Australia Prize for Distinctive Work in the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. She has worked as a researcher in universities and government organisations, where she has published numerous peer-reviewed articles in high-impact academic journals, as well as research reports for stakeholders such as the Australian Institute of Family Studies, Northern Territory Police, Victoria Police, and Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria. 

Member of the Centre for Applied Social Research (CASR) at RMIT University.

Recent publications

Hamilton, G., Brubacher, S. P., & Powell, M. B. (2016). Expressions of shame in investigative interviews with Australian Aboriginal children. Child Abuse & Neglect, 51, 64-71. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.11.004

Hamilton, G., Brubacher, S. P., & Powell, M. B. (2016). Investigative interviewing of Aboriginal children in cases of suspected sexual abuse. Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, 25(4), 363-381. doi: 10.1080/10538712.2016.1158762

Hamilton, G., Brubacher, S. P., & Powell, M. B. (in press). The effects of practice narratives in interviews with Australian Aboriginal children. Investigative Interviewing: Research and Practice (II-RP).

Hamilton, G., Powell, M. B., & Brubacher, S. P. (2016). Professionals' perceptions regarding the suitability of investigative interview protocols to Aboriginal children. Australian Psychologist. doi: 10.1111/ap.12196

Hamilton, G., Whiting, E. A., Brubacher, S. P., & Powell, M. B. (2016). The effects of face-to-face versus remote interviewing on children's event reports. Legal and Criminological Psychology. doi:10.1111/lcrp.12098

Hamilton, G. (2016). Responding to and preventing violence against women in CALD communities. Polaron Language Services & Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria.

Hamilton, G. (in press). Homicide, Gender, and Responsibility: Book Review. Current Issues in Criminal Justice. 

B Arts (Honours) 

PhD Forensic Psychology