Research outputs per year
Research outputs per year
Personal profile
Biography
Betty has a background in developmental psychology and skills in mixed-methods approaches, enabling her to provide technical expertise to a range of initiatives within the research centre. With a strong interest in understanding how the early environment can best support children’s development, her research program involves the analysis of child welfare administrative data to provide insights and drive change in practice and policy, ensuring effective implementation of practices to support children and families, and amplifying the voices of children and young people, parents, carers, and families.
Born and raised in southwest Sydney, Betty completed her PhD in children’s social cognitive understanding at the School of Psychology, The University of Sydney. Her upbringing as a child of refugees who fled the Vietnam War has shaped her beliefs in the importance of belonging, connection, and culture, and underscores her commitment to ensuring that systems and services enable people across all walks of life to access opportunities to thrive.
Research interests
- Developmental psychology; child and youth development
- Administrative data analysis
- Child protection and out-of-home care
- Migrant and refugee children, young people, and families
- Cultural identity and connection
Previous positions
Research-focused
- Research Fellow - Research Centre for Children and Families,
Sydney School of Education and Social Work, The University of Sydney - Project Manager - Early Start, University of Wollongong
- Associate Research Fellow - Early Start, University of Wollongong
- Research Assistant - School of Psychology, The University of Sydney
Teaching
- Guest lecturer - Sydney School of Education and Social Work
University of Sydney- SCWK2006 Research Skills for Social Change
- SCWK3009 Social Work Preliminary Honours
- EDPK5001 Qualitative Methods
- EDPK5002 Quantitative Methods
- Casual lecturer - School of Psychology, University of Sydney
- PSYC2014 Cognitive, Social and Developmental Psychology
- Psychology 1002 Summer School
- Sessional lecturer - School of Psychology, Australian Catholic University
- COUN664 Attachment and Early Development
- Casual tutor - School of Psychology, University of Sydney
- PSYC3016 Developmental Psychology
- PSYC2012 Statistics & Research Methods for Psychology
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Related links
Qualifications
Doctor of Philosophy, University of Sydney
Bachelor of Psychology, University of Sydney
Research keywords
- child development
- linked administrative data
- child welfare
- migrant and refugee children and families
- cultural identity and connection
Fingerprint
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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A Population-Based Analysis of Birth Rates and Placement Patterns Among Care-Experienced Young Women in New South Wales, Australia
Gill, A. & Luu, B., 2025, (E-pub ahead of print (In Press)) In: Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal. 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Strengths, compliance, or deficits: examining professional viewpoints on the ‘realistic possibility of reunification’ for parents with children in care
Luu, B., Collings, S., Ciftci, S. & McLaine, M., 2025, (E-pub ahead of print (In Press)) In: Journal of Public Child Welfare. 25 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Analysis of Linked Longitudinal Administrative Data on Child Protection Involvement for NSW Families with Domestic and Family Violence, Alcohol and Other Drug Issues and Mental Health Issues
Luu, B., Conley Wright, A., Schurer, S., Metcalfe, L., Heward-Belle, S., Collings, S. & Barrett, E., 2024, Sydney, N.S.W.: Australia's National Research Organisation for Women's Safety. 54 p.Research output: Book/Research Report › Research report
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Confronting Whiteness in developmental psychology: Impacts on ethnic minority families in the Australian Child Welfare System
Luu, B. & Kong, P., 21 Nov 2024, Handbook of Critical Whiteness: Deconstructing Dominant Discourses Across Disciplines. Springer Nature, Vol. 1. p. 663-678 16 p.Research output: Chapter in Book / Conference Paper › Chapter › peer-review
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Effectively supporting Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) young people with their mental health and wellbeing - does this matter or exist in Australia?
Luu, B., Fox, L., McVeigh, M. J. & Ravulo, J., 2024, In: Social Work in Mental Health. 22, 2, p. 171-197 27 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
2 Citations (Scopus)
Projects
- 1 Active
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Evaluation of Australian Childhood Foundation's ChildSPACE PROJECT (Bega Valley Shire, NSW)
Luu, B. (PI), Collings, S. (Investigator), Grace, R. (Investigator) & Kemp, L. (Investigator)
Australian Childhood Foundation
1/10/24 → 1/10/25
Project: Research