Section: Overview
Overview
Key publications
Research funding
Supervising & teaching
Career

Key details

Areas of expertise

  • Child abuse & child protection in sport
  • Violence in sport
  • Sport participation
  • Sport policy
  • Social inclusion/exclusion in sport

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

About Aurelie Pankowiak

Dr Aurélie Pankowiak is a postdoctoral research fellow within the Institute for Health and Sport and is a current recipient of a VicHealth Research Fellowship (May 2023 – May 2026). Aurélie completed her PhD at Victoria University in 2020 (National Paralympic Sport Policies).
As part of her VicHealth fellowship, Aurélie leads a program of research on the prevention and response to interpersonal violence in sport (also known as safeguarding or Safe Sport), with as a specific focus on child abuse in community sport. Her work draws from the disciplines of public health and sport management/ policy. She closely collaborates with expert researchers from the fields of psychology, criminology, socio-cultural studies and legal studies, as well as practitioners (sport and specialist services), recognising that child abuse is a very complex social problem that requires multiple perspectives and expertise.

Aurélie is a co-founder and member of the International Research Network on Violence and Integrity in Sport (IRNOVIS)

As a leading survivor-advocate of persistent child sexual abuse in sport, Aurélie is passionate about activism for safer sporting environment and is regularly invited to join advisory committees for research/ policy/ advocacy projects. E.g. The Army of Survivors (USA), Sport & Rights Alliance (International network in Europe), Sport and Recreation Victoria - Preventing Violence Through Sport (Australia), The In Good Faith Foundation (Australia), The French National Inquiry into Sport Federation Failures (France).

Email: [email protected]

Qualifications

  • PhD (Paralympic Sport Policy), Victoria University, Australia, 2020
  • M.S (Erasmus Mundus Master, Adapted Physical Activity), K.U. Leuven University, Belgium, 2013
  • B.S (Sport & Exercise Sciences), Paris Nanterre University, France, 2011

Key publications

Year Citation
2024 Pankowiak, A., Woessner, M., & Parker, A. (241001). Applying Trauma-Informed Principles to Your Sport Organisation. Melbourne, Australia: Victoria University.

doi: 10.26196/3pjh-5g29

2024 Woessner, M., Pankowiak, A., McLachlan, F., & Parker, A. (241001). Recognising and responding to abuse in sport - Office of Sport NSW. Melbourne, Australia: Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University.

doi: 10.26196/3d0r-8852

2024 Woessner, M., Pankowiak, A., Hamer, J., & Parker, A. (240101). Victoria University Safe Sport Community Workshop Summary and Resource Pack. Melbourne, Victoria: Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University.

doi: 10.26196/GJRY-5F49

2024 Woessner, M., Pankowiak, A., Hamer, J., & Parker, A. (240101). Let kids be kids - Safe Sport Community Workshop Summary and Resource Pack. Melbourne, Victoria: Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University.

doi: 10.26196/5F1X-BZ79

Year Citation
2024 Pankowiak, A., Casey, M., Eime, R., & Westerbeek, H. (240101). A socio-ecological approach to understanding the experiences of women and girls playing male-dominated sports. Sport in Society,

doi: 10.1080/17430437.2024.2390989

2024 Eime, R., Harvey, J., Charity, M., Pankowiak, A., Westerbeek, H., & Mesagno, C. (240101). The motivations to play organised club-based sport in Australia. Leisure Studies,

doi: 10.1080/02614367.2024.2347282

2024 Sherry, E., Bowell, P., Symons, K., & Pankowiak, A. (240101). Researching women in sport development: an intersectional approach. Sport in Society, 27(5), (820-842).

doi: 10.1080/17430437.2023.2278614

2024 Woessner, M. N., Pankowiak, A., Kavanagh, E., Parent, S., Vertommen, T., Eime, R., Spaaij, R., Harvey, J., & Parker, A. G. (240101). Telling adults about it: children s experience of disclosing interpersonal violence in community sport. Sport in Society, 27(5), (661-680).

doi: 10.1080/17430437.2023.2268555

2024 Constandt, B., Vertommen, T., Cox, L., Kavanagh, E., Kumar, B. P., Pankowiak, A., Parent, S., & Woessner, M. (240101). Quid interpersonal violence in the sport integrity literature? A scoping review. Sport in Society, 27(1), (162-180).

doi: 10.1080/17430437.2023.2233433

2023 Eather, N., Wade, L., Pankowiak, A., & Eime, R. (231201). The impact of sports participation on mental health and social outcomes in adults: a systematic review and the Mental Health through Sport conceptual model. Systematic Reviews, 12(1),

doi: 10.1186/s13643-023-02264-8

Research funding for the past 5 years

Please note:

  • Funding is ordered by the year the project commenced and may continue over several years.
  • Funding amounts for contact research are not disclosed to maintain commercial confidentiality.
  • The order of investigators is not indicative of the role they played in the research project.

Engaging youth in fun, safe and inclusive sport environments for health and wellbeing
From: VicHealth Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
For period: 2023-2026
$234,472

Report on literature review and document analysis
From: Australian Sports Foundation Limited
Other investigators: Aspr Rochelle Joyce, Prof Hans Westerbeek
For period: 2022-2022
Not disclosed
Sport Participation Research Project
From: VicHealth
Other investigators: Aspr Rochelle Joyce, Prof Hans Westerbeek, Ms Melanie Charity
For period: 2022-2025
$340,000

A research study in sports clubs’ volunteer capacity to drive women and girls’ participation in community sport
From: Australian Football League
Other investigators: Prof Hans Westerbeek, Aspr Rochelle Joyce
For period: 2021-2022
Not disclosed
Sports-clubs volunteer capacity to drive community-sport VU Contact
From: Change our Game Research Grant Program
Other investigators: Aspr Rochelle Joyce, Prof Hans Westerbeek
For period: 2021-2022
$24,720

Yarra Ranges - Participation in sport
From: Yarra Ranges Shire Council
Other investigators: Aspr Rochelle Joyce
For period: 2020-2021
Not disclosed
Sport participation benchmarking: Activate 2020-2030 proposal
From: City of Ballarat, Cricket Victoria
Other investigators: Prof Hans Westerbeek, Aspr Rochelle Joyce
For period: 2020-2024
Not disclosed

Supervision of research students at VU

Available to supervise research students

Available for media queries

Careers

Details of this Researcher's career are currently unavailable.