Dr Ella Kuskoff
Senior Research Fellow
School of Social Science
+61 7 336 54928
Researcher biography
Ella's research seeks to understand the experiences of people experiencing deep and persistent disadvantage, including those who use and are subjected to domestic violence; those who experience poverty and homelessness; and those who are engaged with statutory child protection services. Although Ella is a qualitative scholar, she collaborates within a multidisciplinary team that leverages both qualitative and quantitative data to form a comprehensive picture of how different forms of disadvantage interact with each other, and with broader social structures and systems. Ella also collaborates and engages deeply with industry partners to ensure that her research and its outcomes align fully with their research and practice needs.
Within this broad picture, Ella's research aims to develop strategies for overcoming the structural barriers that perpetuate social disadvantage.
Publications
Book Chapter
Parsell, Cameron, Kuskoff, Ella and Watts-Cobbe, Beth (2024). The endurance, limitations and potential opportunities of charitable responses to homelessness. Research Handbook on Homelessness. (pp. 212-222) Cheltenham, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781800883413.00025
Journal Articles
Plage, Stefanie, Parsell, Cameron, Stambe, Rose-Marie, Perrier, Robert and Kuskoff, Ella (2025). Ontological pleasure: Exploring eating as enjoyment among people with experience of homelessness. Social Science and Medicine, 366 117622, 117622. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117622
Plage, Stefanie, Kuskoff, Ella and Stambe, Rose-Marie (2024). Subject to quarantine: a narrative analysis of COVID-19 reporting in the Australian news media. Sociological Research Online. doi: 10.1177/13607804241275282
Parsell, Cameron, Kuskoff, Ella and Constantine, Skye (2024). What is the scope and contribution of lived experience in social work? A scoping review. The British Journal of Social Work, 54 (8), 3429-3448. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcae106
Kuskoff, Ella and Parsell, Cameron (2024). Global expectations for bystander intervention in domestic violence: a scoping review of governmental policies and community resources in eight countries. Journal of Family Violence, 1-16. doi: 10.1007/s10896-024-00759-z
Kuskoff, Ella, Parsell, Cameron, Plage, Stefanie, Perales, Francisco and Ablaza, Christine (2024). Of good mothers and violent fathers: negotiating child protection interventions in abusive relationships. Violence Against Women, 30 (10), 2531-2548. doi: 10.1177/10778012231158107
Kuskoff, Ella, Sharma, Nikita, Stambe, Rose-Marie, Plage, Stefanie and Parsell, Cameron (2024). ‘Moving, moving, moving’: the social forces that perpetuate housing instability for women experiencing intimate partner violence. Housing Studies, 1-22. doi: 10.1080/02673037.2024.2367650
Stambe, Rose-Marie, Plage, Stefanie, Parsell, Cameron, Kuskoff, Ella and Wagland, Edwina (2024). A shelter by any other name? Delivering homeless crisis accommodation services in a hotel. Housing Policy Debate, ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print), 1-19. doi: 10.1080/10511482.2024.2362633
Zulfiqar, Asma and Kuskoff, Ella (2024). Developing a contextual understanding of empowerment through education: narratives from highly educated women in Pakistan. Gender and Education, ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print), 1-17. doi: 10.1080/09540253.2024.2359519
Plage, Stefanie, Stambe, Rose-Marie, Parsell, Cameron and Kuskoff, Ella (2024). Climbing, stalling, falling: how people experiencing housing instability anticipate their futures. Journal of Sociology. doi: 10.1177/14407833241255151
Perales, Francisco, Parsell, Cameron, Ablaza, Christine, Kuskoff, Ella, Plage, Stefanie and Stambe, Rose (2024). Re(de)fining success: tenancy issues, provider supports, and tenancy outcomes in an Australian Permanent Supportive Housing programme. Housing Studies, 1-25. doi: 10.1080/02673037.2024.2339915
Zulfiqar, Asma, Kuskoff, Ella, Povey, Jenny and Baxter, Janeen (2024). Homemaker or breadwinner: labour force participation of Pakistani women. Community, Work and Family. doi: 10.1080/13668803.2024.2336031
Stambe, Rose-Marie, Plage, Stefanie, Kuskoff, Ella and Parsell, Cameron (2024). “There’s not much I can do about it”: violence and control in marginal(izing) spaces. Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness, 1-9. doi: 10.1080/10530789.2024.2308495
Stambe, Rose, Kuskoff, Ella, Parsell, Cameron, Plage, Stefanie, Ablaza, Christine and Perales, Francisco (2023). Seeing, sharing and supporting: assertive outreach as a partial solution to rough sleeping. The British Journal of Social Work, 54 (2), 723-740. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcad251
Plage, Stefanie, Baker, Kirsten, Parsell, Cameron, Stambe, Rose-Marie, Kuskoff, Ella and Mansuri, Arif (2023). Staying safe, feeling welcome, being seen: how spatio-temporal configurations affect relations of care at an inclusive health and wellness centre. Health Expectations, 26 (6), 2620-2629. doi: 10.1111/hex.13858
Kuskoff, Ella and Parsell, Cameron (2023). Bystander intervention in intimate partner violence: a scoping review of experiences and outcomes. Trauma, Violence and Abuse, 25 (3), 15248380231195886-1813. doi: 10.1177/15248380231195886
Ablaza, Christine, Perales, Francisco, Parsell, Cameron, Middlebrook, Nathan, Robinson, Richard N. S., Kuskoff, Ella and Plage, Stefanie (2023). Increases in income-support payments reduce the demand for charity: A difference-in-difference analysis of charitable-assistance data from Australia over the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS One, 18 (7) e0287533, 1-16. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287533
Staines, Zoe, Smith, Kiah, Plage, Stefanie, Nahar Lata, Lutfun, Fay, Suzanna, Zheng, Zhaoxi, Simpson Reeves, Laura, Beazley, Helen, Kuskoff, Ella, Clarke, Andrew, McGowan, Glenys, Shevellar, Lynda and Prangnell, Jonathan (2023). Social science as social action to address inequalities. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 59 (1), 108-127. doi: 10.1002/ajs4.272
Perales, Francisco, Kuskoff, Ella, Flood, Michael and King, Tania (2023). Like father, like son: empirical insights into the intergenerational continuity of masculinity ideology. Sex Roles, 88 (9-10), 399-412. doi: 10.1007/s11199-023-01364-y
Plage, Stefanie, Kuskoff, Ella, Parsell, Cameron, Clarke, Andrew, Ablaza, Christine and Perales, Francisco (2023). Longing for a Forever Home: Ontological insecurity is collectively produced in fixed-term supportive housing for families. Housing, Theory and Society, 40 (3), 1-17. doi: 10.1080/14036096.2023.2173287
Kuskoff, Ella, Buchanan, Chris, Ablaza, Christine, Parsell, Cameron and Perales, Francisco (2022). Media representations of social housing before and during COVID-19: the changing face of the socially excluded. Housing Studies, 38 (1), 1-22. doi: 10.1080/02673037.2022.2135173
Kuskoff, Ella, Clarke, Andrew and Parsell, Cameron (2022). Governing through (an exclusive) community: Limitations of state conceptualisations of ‘the community’ in domestic violence policies. Social Policy and Society, 23 (3), 1-15. doi: 10.1017/s1474746422000495
Kuskoff, Ella, Clarke, Andrew, Perales, Francisco and Parsell, Cameron (2022). Recognition or redistribution? How mainstream media frames charitable responses to people experiencing poverty. Sociology, 57 (1), 1-18. doi: 10.1177/00380385221095025
Ablaza, Christine, Kuskoff, Ella, Perales, Francisco and Parsell, Cameron (2022). Responding to domestic and family violence: the role of non-specialist services and implications for social work. The British Journal of Social Work, 53 (1), 81-99. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac125
Plage, Stefanie, Kuskoff, Ella, Hoang, Nam-Phuong and Povey, Jenny (2022). Educational participation of primary school children with cancer from a Life Course perspective: A critical review of the literature. International Journal of Educational Research, 114 101990, 101990. doi: 10.1016/j.ijer.2022.101990
Kuskoff, Ella, Parsell, Cameron, Plage, Stefanie, Ablaza, Christine and Perales, Francisco (2022). Willing but unable: How resources help low-income mothers care for their children and minimise child protection intervention. The British Journal of Social Work, 52 (7), 3982-3998. doi: 10.1093/bjsw/bcac027
Simpson Reeves, Laura, Clarke, Andrew, Kuskoff, Ella and Parsell, Cameron (2022). Fulfilling and desperately needed: Australian media representations of responses to homelessness. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 57 (4), 783-797. doi: 10.1002/ajs4.201
Kuskoff, Ella (2021). From aims to actions: a critical analysis of government intervention in cultural drivers of domestic and family violence. Australian Journal of Public Administration, 81 (1) 1467-8500.12486, 111-126. doi: 10.1111/1467-8500.12486
Kuskoff, Ella, Clarke, Andrew and Parsell, Cameron (2021). What about men? The marginalization of men who engage in domestic violence. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37 (13-14) 0886260521997462, 1-23. doi: 10.1177/0886260521997462
Parsell, Cameron, Clarke, Andrew and Kuskoff, Ella (2020). Understanding responses to homelessness during COVID-19: an examination of Australia. Housing Studies, 38 (1), 1-14. doi: 10.1080/02673037.2020.1829564
Kuskoff, Ella and Parsell, Cameron (2020). Striving for Gender Equality: Representations of Gender in "Progressive" Domestic Violence Policy. Violence Against Women, 27 (3-4), 1-19. doi: 10.1177/1077801220909892
Kuskoff, Ella and Parsell, Cameron (2019). Preventing domestic violence by changing Australian gender relations: issues and considerations. Australian Social Work, 73 (2), 1-9. doi: 10.1080/0312407x.2019.1641529
Kuskoff, Ella (2017). The importance of discourse in homelessness policy for young people: an Australian perspective. Journal of Youth Studies, 21 (3), 1-15. doi: 10.1080/13676261.2017.1380789
Conference Papers
Plage, Stefanie, Stambe, Rose-Marie, Parsell, Cameron and Kuskoff, Ella (2023). Climbing, stalling, falling: how people experiencing housing instability anticipate their futures. XX ISA World Congress of Sociology, Melbourne, Australia, 25 June-1 July 2023.
Kuskoff, Ella, Parsell, Cameron, Plage, Stefanie, Perales, Francisco and Ablaza, Christine (2023). Of good mothers and violent fathers: findings from the keeping families together evaluation. Single parenting, co-parenting, and post-separation families: challenges and opportunities in times of crisis, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 23 June 2023.
Plage, Stefanie and Kuskoff, Ella (2022). 'Vertical cruise ships?’ – a narrative analysis of maritime, hotel and residential quarantine in Australian news media. TASA Annual Conference, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 28 November-2 December 2022.
Plage, Stefanie, Baker, Kirsten, Parsell, Cameron, Stambe, Rose-Marie, Kuskoff, Ella and Mansuri, Arif (2022). Staying safe, feeling welcome, being seen: How spatio-temporal configurations affect relations of care at an inclusive health and wellness clinic. TASA Annual Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 28 November-2 December 2022.
Plage, Stefanie, Kuskoff, Ella and Hoang, Nam Phuong (2021). Current knowledge on educational participation in childhood cancer survivorship: a systematic review of the literature. Cancer Survivorship 2021, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 18-19 March 2021.
Kuskoff, Ella (2019). Policy, progress, and (male) privilege: How gendered assumptions influence domestic violence policy. Australian Sociological Association Conference, Sydney, Australia, 25-28 November 2019.
Kuskoff, Ella (2019). Conceptualisations of gender in Queensland’s domestic violence policy. Gender, Sex and Sexualities Postgraduate and Early Career Researcher Conference, Adelaide, Australia, 23-24 September 2019.
Kuskoff, Ella (2019). Striving for gender equality: Representations of gender in progressive domestic violence policy. Australian Social Policy Conference, Sydney, Australia, 8-11 September 2019.
Kuskoff, Ella (2018). Striving for gender equality in Queensland. Stop Domestic Violence Conference, Gold Coast, Australia, 3-5 December 2018.
Video Document
Audio Document
Kuskoff, Ella (2022). Reducing child protection interventions . Martin Webber's Blog.
Thesis
Kuskoff, Ella (2021). The road to hell is paved with good policy intentions: An analysis of government intervention in cultural aspects of domestic violence. PhD Thesis, Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/6f9b82f
Research Reports
Parsell, Cameron, Perrier, Robert, Anderson, Melissa, Donohue, Brendon, Plage, Stefanie, Constantine, Skye, Sharma, Nikita and Kuskoff, Ella (2025). Tenant engagement with Common Ground Queensland. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Queensland Mental Health Commission.
Parsell, Cameron, Sharma, Nikita, Stambe, Rose, Kuskoff, Ella, Davidraj, Paul and Kozionas, Jade (2024). What does it take and mean to sustain a tenancy and prevent homelessness?. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Sharma, Nikita, Kuskoff, Ella, Hill, Samantha and Parsell, Cameron (2024). A survey of the people contributing to the St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland 2024. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Stambe, Rose-Marie, Plage, Stefanie, Venables, Jemma and Kuskoff, Ella (2024). Hanging by a thread: our search for home. A youth photovoice project report. Brisbane, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland.
Campbell, Alice, Kuskoff, Ella and Baxter, Janeen (2024). Engaging with the Domestic Violence Action Centre: survivor experiences. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Kuskoff, Ella, Stambe, Rose, Sharma, Nikita, Plage, Stefanie and Parsell, Cameron (2023). Keeping families together: 2023 study report. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Micah Projects.
Plage, Stefanie, Parsell, Cameron, Kuskoff, Ella, Stambe, Rose-Marie, Baker, Kirsten and Mansuri, Arif (2023). Health, home, hope. A research report on Inclusive Health and Wellness Partnerships. St Lucia, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland.
Stambe, Rose, Ablaza, Christine (Tin), Parsell, Cameron, Robinson, Richard, Plage, Stefanie and Kuskoff, Ella (2023). An empirical study of the Park Hotel Homelessness Response: a report for the St Vincent de Paul Society Queensland. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Parsell, Cameron, Perales, Francisco, Kuskoff, Ella, Stambe, Rose and Plage, Stefanie (2023). Brisbane Common Ground: analyses of tenancy sustainment and exits. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Parsell, Cameron, Perales, Francisco, Kuskoff, Ella, Robinson, Richard, Ablaza, Christine, Plage, Stefanie and Stambe, Rose (2023). A survey of the people contributing to the St Vincent De Paul Society Queensland. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Stambe, Rose, Ablaza, Christine, Plage, Stefanie, Kuskoff, Ella, Perales, Francisco and Parsell, Cameron (2023). An empirical study of Micah Project's Street to Home program. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Stambe, Rose, Ablaza, Christine, Parsell, Cameron, Plage, Stefanie and Kuskoff, Ella (2022). Experiences and exits: Living at the Park Hotel and moving out. The Park Hotel Series Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Stambe, Rose, Albaza, Christine, Plage, Stefanie, Kuskoff, Ella, Perales, Francisco and Parsell, Cameron (2022). Pathways out of homelessness grant program: An evaluation report. Brisbane, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland.
Stambe, Rose, Ablaza, Christine (Tin), Parsell, Cameron, Plage, Stefanie and Kuskoff, Ella (2022). Pathways and profiles: getting to know the Park Hotel clients. The Park Hotel Series Brisbane, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland.
Ablaza, Christine, Parsell, Cameron, Perales, Francisco and Kuskoff, Ella (2022). Ask and you shall receive: exploring the non-take-up of assistance from the community sector. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Stambe, Rose, Parsell, Cameron, Kuskoff, Ella, Plage, Stefanie and Ablaza, Christine (Tin) (2022). The Park Hotel: understanding the service delivery model. The Park Hotel Series Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Ablaza, Christine, Perales, Francisco, Parsell, Cameron, Robinson, Richard and Kuskoff, Ella (2021). Income support in the Covid-19 era: a case for reform. St Lucia, QLD Australia: The University of Queensland.
Kuskoff, Ella, Parsell, Cameron, Ablaza, Christine, Perales, Francisco, Clarke, Andrew and Plage, Stefanie (2021). Keeping families together: pilot project study. Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Ablaza, Christine, Kuskoff, Ella, Perales, Francisco, Parsell, Cameron and Robinson, Richard (2021). Domestic and family violence and emergency relief: the who, the what, and the where. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: The University of Queensland.
Working Papers
Kuskoff, Ella, Parsell, Cameron and Walsh AM, Karyn (2025). Motels as crisis accommodation for families: a snapshot of the current literature. LCC Working Paper Series. 2025-04. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Australia. doi: 10.14264/2f13619
Sharma, Nikita, Kuskoff, Ella, Parsell, Cameron and Middlebrook, Nathan (2024). Disasters and Individual Wellbeing: Evidence from Australia. LCC Working Paper Series. 2024-35. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland Australia. doi: 10.14264/a7a822d
Campbell, Alice, Kuskoff, Ella, Lloyd, Madison, Baxter, Janeen and Harper, Melanie (2024). Engaging with the domestic violence action centre: survivor experiences. LCC Working Paper Series. 2024-09. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland Australia. doi: 10.14264/ee0ba1a
Kuskoff, Ella, Stambe, Rose, Sharma, Nikita, Plage, Stefanie and Parsell, Cameron (2024). Supportive housing for families in Brisbane: Successes and challenges of the housing model. LCC Working Paper Series. 2024-02. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/7a4d8f6
Parsell, Cameron, Sharma, Nikita and Kuskoff, Ella (2023). Ending homelessness through permanent supportive housing: a cost offset update. LCC Working Paper Series. 2023-27. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland Australia. doi: 10.14264/31b3388
Stambe, Rose, Kuskoff, Ella, Parsell, Cameron, Plage, Stefanie, Ablaza, Christine and Perales, Francisco (2023). Assertive outreach as a response to rough sleeping: seeing people, sharing information, and supporting housing access. LCC Working Paper Series. 2023-20. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland Australia. doi: 10.14264/a370d12
Zulfiqar, Asma, Kuskoff, Ella, Povey, Jenny and Baxter, Janeen (2023). Homemaker or breadwinner: labour force participation of Pakistani women. LCC Working Paper Series. 2023-17. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/679bb6d
Stambe, Rose, Ablaza, Christine, Parsell, Cameron, Robinson, Richard, Plage, Stefanie and Kuskoff, Ella (2023). From Hostels to Hotels: An Empirical Study of Brisbane’s Innovative Homelessness Response. LCC Working Paper Series 2. 2023-16. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland Australia. doi: 10.14264/5bc9122
Campbell, Alice, Kuskoff, Ella and Baxter, Janeen (2023). Gender trap: the gender structure, violence, and women’s unfreedom. LCC Working Paper Series. 2023-14. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Australia. doi: 10.14264/c43fbaa
Parsell, Cameron, Perales, Francisco, Kuskoff, Ella, Stambe, Rose and Plage, Stefanie (2023). Permanent supportive housing: A ten-year study of entries and exits. LCC Working Paper Series. 2023-05. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/c46109d
Stefanie Plage, Kirsten Baker, Cameron Parsell, Rose-Marie Stambe, Ella Kuskoff and Arif Mansuri (2023). Staying safe, feeling welcome, being seen: how spatio-temporal configurations affect relations of care at an inclusive health and wellness centre. LCC Working Paper Series. 2023-03. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland Australia . doi: 10.14264/1540b42
Plage, Stefanie, Baker, Kirsten, Parsell, Cameron, Stambe, Rose-Marie, Kuskoff, Ella and Mansuri, Arif (2023). Staying Safe, Feeling Welcome, Being Seen: How Spatio-Temporal Configurations Affect Relations of Care at an Inclusive Health and Wellness Centre. LCC Working Paper Series. 2023-03. ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families over the Life Course.
Buchanan, C., Kuskoff, E., Ablaza, C., Parsell, C. and Perales, F. (2022). From 'Deadbeat' to 'Deserving': The Role of Covid-19 in Reshaping Media Representations of Social Housing. LCC Working Paper Series. 2022-14. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane.
Campbell, A., Baxter, J., Kuskoff, E., Forder, P. and Loxton, D. (2022). Cumulative Violence and Young Women's Unfreedom. LCC Working Paper Series. 2022-09. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane.
Kuskoff, Ella (2019). From intentions to implementation: improving alignment between domestic and family violence policy aims and actions. LCC Working Paper Series. 2019-25. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.
Kuskoff, Ella (2016). A critical discourse analysis of past and present policy representations of youth homelessness in Australia. LCC Working Paper Series. 2016-26. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.
Kuskoff, Ella and Mallett, Shelley (2016). Young, homeless, and raising a child: a review of existing approaches to addressing the needs of young Australian parents experiencing homelessness. LCC Working Paper Series. 2016-13. Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland.
Generic Documents
Sharma, Nikita, Kuskoff, Ella and Parsell, Cameron (2024). Journey map of a companion: Matching lived experiences with SVdP QLD programs and services. The University of Queensland.
Creative Works
Wood, Leanne, Stambe, Rose-Marie, Plage, Stefanie, Parsell, Cameron, Maddren, Rees, Ledgerwood, Tahnee and Kuskoff, Ella (2023). Hanging by a thread: our search for home. Fortitude Valley, QLD, Australia: Anglicare Southern Queensland; The University of Queensland.
Plage, Stefanie, Perrier, Robert, Bubenik, Andrea, Baker, Kirsten, Stambe, Rose-Marie, Kuskoff, Ella and Parsell, Cameron (2023). Health home hope: a photographic exhibition on housing and health. West End, Brisbane, Australia: The University of Queensland.