Ms Lesley Hewitt

Lecturer

Co-ordinator Undergraduate Distance Education Programs

Profile

Ms Hewitt joined the Department of Social Work in 1991 after working for several years in child protection services in both policy and direct service. Lesley was the inaugural co-ordinator of the first 24 hour hospital based sexual assault counselling service operating at the former Queen Victoria Medical Centre.

She has published in the area of sexual assault, family violence and child abuse. Her MSW thesis explored factors that influenced the decisions of child protection workers investigating allegations of child abuse. Her current research interests included family violence with particular emphasis on the impact on children, and she is a member of the Departmental research team that includes Thea Brown and Rosemary Sheehan who are examining how the Family Court of Australia deals with child abuse allegations.

Lesley has been involved in utilising on-line technology in the teaching of the undergraduate social work degree and has completed post graduate qualifications in this area.