Bree Akesson

Assistant Professor, Wilfrid Laurier University

Dr. Akesson’s program of research focuses broadly on international child protection, ranging from micro-level understandings of the experiences of children and families affected by war to macro-level studies on child protection systems strengthening. Her past research projects include an evaluation of psychosocial programs for children in Chechnya (2005) and northern Uganda (2008), a mapping of social work education in West and Central Africa (2014), a place-based study on the experiences of Palestinian children and families living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem (2014), and an eight-country baseline study to determine child protection practices and social service workforce needs in southeast Europe (2015-2016).

She is currently the principal investigator for two research projects with families displaced by the war in Syria: (1) a qualitative study exploring the childrearing experiences of Syrian families, and (2) a SSHRC-funded mixed methods study investigating Syrian families’ well-being and mobility.

Location: Brantford, Ontario, Canada