Donna Cross Explained

Donna Cross OAM FAHMS is an Australian academic, professor, a child health advocate^[1] at the School of Global and Population Health within the University of Western Australia and leader of the Telethon Kids Institute.^{[2] [3]} She was awarded an Order of Australia for her work in children's mental health.^[4]

Cross is currently the Chief Investigator and the Western Australian Node Director of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course.^[5]

Cross was historically the Founding Director for the Child Health Promotion Research Centre within the Edith Cowan University, from 2003 to 2012.^[6] As Founding Director she led projects aimed at promoting the mental development and wellbeing of young people. Cross also created the Friendly Schools Plus (FS+) program,^{[7] [8]} which has been adopted by over 3,000 schools in Singapore, Australia, the UK, and the USA.^[9]

Education

Cross received a PhD from Columbia University, in New York, and a Bachelor of Education from the Western Australia Institute of Technology in 1983.^[10]

Career

Cross has spent her career investigating childhood mental health, safety in schools, and designing and implementing research around well-being in school settings.^{[11] [12]} She also has researched impacts of cyber-bullying, aggression, and the protection of young adolescents, particularly for implementing her research in real-life settings.^[13]

Publications

Cross has written 38 books and chapters, as at July 2024, with 173 peer-reviewed journal articles, 95 reports, and more than 100 health education resources. Cross has an H-index of 57 and over 12,000 citations, according to google scholar.^[14]

Select publications include:

• Papageorgiou, A., Fisher, C. and Cross, D. (2022) "Why don’t I look like her?" How adolescent girls view social media and its connection to body image. BMC Women's Health.
• Lester, L., Cross, D. (2015) The Relationship Between School Climate and Mental and Emotional Wellbeing Over the Transition from Primary to Secondary School. Psych Well-Being 5, 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13612-015-0037-8^[15]
• Perren, S., Dooley, J., Shaw, T. et al. (2010) Bullying in school and cyberspace: Associations with depressive symptoms in Swiss and Australian adolescents. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 4, 28. https://doi.org/10.1186/1753-2000-4-28.^[16]
• Cross, D. Waters, S. (2012) Friendly schools plus teacher resource. Early & middle adolescene 11-14 years.^[17]

Awards

Award for Cross's work in adolescent mental health include the following:

• 2023 - Western Australian Science Hall of Fame.^[18]
• 2015 - fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Science^[3].
• 2012 - Western Australian of the Year Awards,^[4]
• 2012 - Future Justice Prize.^[5]
• 2011 - Cross finalist for the WA Citizen of the Year Award,
• 2011 - WA Scientist of the Year.^[6]

Cross was awarded both the Churchill fellowship and NHMRC Research fellowship in 2016.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Carroll . Lucy . 2023-03-01 . NSW appoints schools behaviour adviser to tackle worsening student conduct . 2024-07-24 . The Sydney Morning Herald . en.
2. Web site: Donna Cross . 2024-07-24 . the UWA Profiles and Research Repository . en-GB.
3. Web site: Govt House WA .
4. Web site: 2022-06-12 . Bullying expert Donna Cross in Queen's Birthday honours . 2024-07-24 . The West Australian . en.
5. Web site: Members . 2024-07-24 . Life Course Centre . en-AU.
6. Web site: Donna Cross . 2024-07-24 . the UWA Profiles and Research Repository . en-GB.
7. Web site: ORCID . 2024-07-24 . orcid.org.
8. Web site: 2021-06-16 . Home - Friendly Schools . 2024-07-24 . friendlyschools.com.au . en-AU.
9. Web site: Donna Cross . 2024-07-24 . scholar.google.com.au.
10. Web site: Donna Cross - Churchill Trust . 2024-07-24 . www.churchilltrust.com.au . en-AU.
11. Web site: Cross . Donna . Lester . Leanne . 2023-07-03 . Teacher's Bookshelf: Wellbeing champions . 2024-07-24 . Teacher Magazine . en.
12. Web site: Record . The . 2024-06-06 . New, exciting, family engagement resources for parents and school staff . 2024-07-24 . The Record . en-US.
13. Web site: Altangerel . Zaya . 2023-09-14 . WA Premier's Science Awards 2023 Winners – People News . 2024-07-24 . Particle . en-AU.
14. Web site: Donna Cross . 2024-07-24 . scholar.google.com.au.
15. Lester . Leanne . Cross . Donna . 2015 . The Relationship Between School Climate and Mental and Emotional Wellbeing Over the Transition from Primary to Secondary School . Psychology of Well-Being . 5 . 1 . 9 . 10.1186/s13612-015-0037-8 . free . 2211-1522 . 4615665 . 26516619.
16. Perren . Sonja . Dooley . Julian . Shaw . Thérèse . Cross . Donna . 2010-11-23 . Bullying in school and cyberspace: Associations with depressive symptoms in Swiss and Australian adolescents . Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health . en . 4 . 1 . 28 . 10.1186/1753-2000-4-28 . free . 1753-2000 . 3003626 . 21092266.
17. Web site: Trove . 2024-07-24 . trove.nla.gov.au.
18. Web site: 2024-04-26 . WA Science Hall of Fame . 2024-07-24 . www.wa.gov.au . en.