Professor Jane Callaghan

Director Child Wellbeing & Protection

Social Work Colin Bell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Professor Jane Callaghan

Contact details

About me

Professor Jane Callaghan directs the Centre for Child Wellbeing and Protection. She is a psychologist by training and an interdisciplinary researcher, working across psychology, health, social policy, social work and childhood studies.

She has been principal investigator on studies funded by the ESRC, the European Commission and a range of government, health and third sector organisations, and has led national and multi-country teams. Her largest project to date was CAFADA, the ESRC-funded study Understanding the Evidence Base for Children Impacted by Domestic Abuse, which explored the potential for child-centred, feminist innovation in the services that support people affected by domestic abuse. It also produced the Safe and Well measures of children's safety and wellbeing, co-produced with children and women who have lived with abuse. She also led UNARS, a four-nation European Commission project and the largest qualitative study of children living with domestic violence conducted to date, which fed into the recognition of children as direct victims of domestic abuse in the UK.

She has published widely in international journals, along with numerous book chapters and two books, and is Editor in Chief of Developmental Child Welfare (Sage).

Jane's research asks how children make sense of violence in their own families, and what they do about it. It starts from a position that was, when she began, not the usual one: that children living with domestic abuse are not bystanders to something happening between adults, but people in their own right, with their own ways of coping, resisting and keeping others safe. She is interested in what safety actually feels like from a child's point of view, which is often quite different from what a safety plan records, and in coercive control as something children experience directly rather than second hand.

A second strand of her work is about how professionals write and talk about the people they work with. She has studied how services describe mothers, fathers and children in domestic abuse cases, how professional groups define themselves, and how gender and ethnicity shape who gets treated as a problem.

Her wider interests include children's mental health and CAMH services, looked after children, and young people who are marginalised and othered in a range of ways. Recent work extends to digital gender-based violence. She uses creative, participatory and qualitative methods, and has a strong track record in evaluation, including implementation science and realist evaluation.

Community Contribution

Expert Reader: Office of the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, England and Wales

Provided expert input into a major report on services for children impacted by domestic abuse.

Expert Advisor, Department of Work and Pensions
Department of Work and Pensions, UK
/…/UniversalCredit
Prof Callaghan was asked to provide expert advice to the DWP and Lord Freud on the needs of families who have experienced domestic abuse, and families who have experienced bereavement. In this role, she was able to secure six months unconditionality under universal credit for adult carers who had lost a spouse or partner, or who were fleeing domestic abuse.

Expert witness: Home Affairs Select Committee, session on the Domestic Abuse Bill (westminster)
Home Office
https://www.parliament.uk/…-evidence-17-19/
Professor Callaghan provided expert testimony on the experience of children to the Home Affairs Select Committee at Westminster, in 2019.

Expert witness: Scottish Government Evidence Session on the removal of the defence of reasonable chastisement
Scottish Government
https://www.scottishparliament.tv/…february-28-2019
Professor Callaghan gave expert testimony on the removal of the defense of reasonable chastisement that is currently enables parents to use physical punishment with their children. She argued that continuities between physical punishment and other forms of family violence were clearly evidenced, as were the negative outcomes of physical punishment regardless of the motivation of the parent / carer.

External Examiners and Validations

External Examiner University of East Anglia

Other Academic Activities

Scientific Expert European Commission Horizon programme
European Commission

In this capacity, I evaluate proposals for project funding and attend panels to award funding. I also evaluate the progress of funded projects.

Project Committee Initiativa Milenio

I am a member of the Social Sciences Program Committee for The Millennium Science Initiative, a program of the National Agency of Research and Development (ANID; www.anid.cl) at the Chilean Ministry of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation. In this capacity, I am responsible for the evaluation of proposals for research centres of excellence, and the funded development of research nuclei as well as for the evaluation of the progress of these centres and nuclei.

Editor in Chief, Developmental Child Welfare
https://journals.sagepub.com/home/DCW
Editor of the Sage Journal Developmental Child Welfare

Member of the Editorial Board, Children and Society
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10990860

Other Project

Early years consultant: Women's Aid Federation England

This project, commissioned by Women's Aid Federation England, focused on the development of a toolkit to enable domestic abuse support workers to provide sensitive support for women who are pregnant of have a child under 3. Domestic abuse has a significant impact on relationships between parents and babies, and this can have long term consequences for children's later development. The project involves interviews with women affected by domestic abuse, who are either pregnant of have young children, and with domestic abuse specialist workers, to inform the development of an approach to supporting women and children that is both woman and infant centred.

The She Project

The SHE provides an integrated support programme for families affected by domestic violence. We have been commissioned to evaluate the intervention as a whole, and to deliver an intervention for children and young people affected by domestic violence and abuse, and for families where there is a baby under 3 years old. Prof Callaghan is Principal Investigator. The project is funded by the Big Lottery Fund. 

Research projects (27)

Permanently Progressing? Phase Two: Middle Childhood
PI: Dr Helen Whincup
Funded by: The Nuffield Foundation and Donors (UK)
–

Developing the evidence base for social care responses to children / families affected by domestic abuse
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council
–

Governing parental opioid use: a relational ethnography
PI: Professor Anne Whittaker
Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council
–

Evaluation of ‘Parents Involved in their Children’s Learning’ (PICL) project
PI: Dr Hannah Hale
Funded by: Midlothian Sure Start
–

Creating better lives? An Evaluation of the Life Changes Trust
PI: Professor Louise McCabe
Funded by: Life Changes Trust
–

Equalities, empowerment and the experience of care: An evaluation for the Life Changes Trust
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: Life Changes Trust
–

Domestic Abuse Seminar Series
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: Delegates - Conferences
–

Evaluation of Midlothian Sure Start and their Provision for Fathers
PI: Dr Hannah Hale
Funded by: Midlothian Sure Start
–

'Vulnerable' families in a time of pandemic
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: Chief Scientist Office
–

Make a Change
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: Lincolnshire Police & Crime Commissioner
–

Peer mentoring for young people leaving care
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: Falkirk Council
–

Befriending Services for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in Scotland
PI:
Funded by: Scottish Government
–

Safe, Health and Empowered: a holistic programme of support for women and girls who are affected by domestic violence and abuse in Northamptonshire
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: University of Northampton
–

Open Kindergarten
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: Scottish Government
–

The experiences of victims in the criminal justice system: a qualitative research project
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
–

Mentoring for Children and Young People: an Evaluation
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: Renfrewshire Council
–

Services for Children Experiencing Domestic Abuse
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: Action for Children
–

Centre for Child Wellbeing and Protection Conference
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: Delegates - Conferences
–

IAPT project with Northampton
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: University of Northampton
–

Towards best practice in educating and supporting separated children in Scotland Research Tender Specification
PI: Dr Sian Lucas
Funded by: Scottish Refugee Council
–

Evaluation of the Safe Strong and Free Programme
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: Safe Strong and Free
–

Scottish Government - Child Trafficking
PI:
Funded by: Scottish Government
–

Taking Action on Child Poverty
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: Delegates - Conferences
–

HEFCE Safeguarding catalyst funding: Safe places project
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: University of Northampton
–

Early Years Resource Consultant
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: Women’s Aid Federation of England
–

Nurturing Citizenship in the Early Years
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: Glasgow Centre for Population Health
–

OK Open Kindergarten
PI: Professor Jane Callaghan
Funded by: Scottish Government
–

Outputs (50)

Conference Paper (unpublished)

“But one of the best things is, I don’t feel so bound”: how a specialised youth work model can support children affected by domestic abuse.

Bellussi L (2023) “But one of the best things is, I don’t feel so bound”: how a specialised youth work model can support children affected by domestic abuse.. Alexander J (Research Group), Plumpton J (Research Group) & Callaghan J (Research Group) ECDV Reykjavik 2023; Edinburgh Community Psychology Festival 2023., 01.04.2023.

Research Report

Child Trafficking in Scotland

Rigby P, Malloch M, Beetham T & Callaghan J (2020) Child Trafficking in Scotland. Scottish Government. Social Research. Edinburgh. https://www.gov.scot/publications/child-trafficking-scotland-research/

Research Report

Make A Change: An evaluation of the implementation of an early response intervention for those who have used abusive behaviours in their intimate relationships.

Callaghan J, Morran D, Alexander J, Bellussi L, Beetham T & Hooper J (2020) Make A Change: An evaluation of the implementation of an early response intervention for those who have used abusive behaviours in their intimate relationships.. Respect UK. Stirling. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.31398.09283

Research Report

Open Kindergarten: Improving Family Support Provision in Scotland

Hale H, Callaghan J, Gada A & Bellussi L (2020) Open Kindergarten: Improving Family Support Provision in Scotland. Crisp S (Research Group) Children in Scotland. Stirling. https://childreninscotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Open-Kindergarten-University-of-Stirling-Final-Report-June-2020.pdf; https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28462.08006

Project Report

Safe Strong and Free Programme evaluation

Beetham T & Callaghan J (2019) Safe Strong and Free Programme evaluation. Safe Strong and Free Highland. https://www.stir.ac.uk/media/stirling/services/faculties/social-sciences/research/documents/Report-SSF-2019-FINAL.pdf

Keynote

Children's experiences of domestic abuse

Callaghan J (2018) Children's experiences of domestic abuse. Change for Children Conference, Women's Aid Northern Ireland, 07.02.2018-08.02.2018. https://www.womensaidni.org/see-hear-act-children-domestic-violence-conference-2018/

Book Chapter

Children’s experiences of domestic violence: A teaching and training challenge

Callaghan JE, Fellin LC & Alexander JH (2017) Children’s experiences of domestic violence: A teaching and training challenge. In: Newnes C & Golding L (eds.) Teaching Critical Psychology International Perspectives. London: Routledge, pp. 219-237. https://www.routledge.com/Teaching-Critical-Psychology-International-Perspectives/Newnes-Golding/p/book/9781138288348

Article

Embodiment and Excess: Constructions of tattooed mothers in the UK

Dann C & Callaghan JEM (2017) Embodiment and Excess: Constructions of tattooed mothers in the UK. Psychology of Women Section Review, 19 (1). https://shop.bps.org.uk/publications/publication-by-series/psychology-of-women-section-review/psychology-of-women-section-review-vol-19-1-spring-2017.html

Book Chapter

Mental Health of Looked-After Children: Embodiment and Use of Space

Callaghan JEM, Fellin LC & Alexander JH (2016) Mental Health of Looked-After Children: Embodiment and Use of Space. In: Evans B, Horton J & Skelton T (eds.) Geographies of Children and Young People: Play, Recreation, Health and Well Being. Geographies of Children and Young People, 9. Singapore: Springer, pp. 561-580. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-51-4_22

Book Chapter

Children’s Corporeal Agency and Use of Space in Situations of Domestic Violence

Alexander JH, Callaghan JE, Sixsmith J & Fellin LC (2016) Children’s Corporeal Agency and Use of Space in Situations of Domestic Violence. In: Evans B, Horton J & Skelton T (eds.) Play and Recreation, Health and Wellbeing. Geographies of Children and Young People, 9. Singapore: Springer, pp. 523-543. https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-981-4585-51-4_23#citeas; https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-4585-51-4_23

Authored Book

Social Psychology

Callaghan J & Lazard L (2011) Social Psychology. Critical Thinking in Psychology. London: SAGE Publications. https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/social-psychology/book238613

Teaching

Jane teaches Human Development and coordinates the social work dissertation programme. She supervises doctoral students working across disciplines, including psychology, sociology and social policy as well as social work, and contributes teaching and dissertation supervision across the faculty. She has taught qualitative methods for thirty years, and regularly works with students to develop their dissertation research into published journal articles.

Teaching

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Research programmes

Research centres/groups

Research themes