• Social work counselling
• Gender based violence
• Children and families
• Foster care
• Disability, inclusive education
• ODeL

Fields of research interests

• Qualitative research
• Criminology and victimology
• Foster care
• Disability, inclusive education
• Gender based violence
• Separation and divorce

• Qualitative research
• Criminology and victimology
• Foster care, children and families
• Disability
• Gender based violence

• Mphaphuli, L.N. 2023. Chapter 2, The impact of dysfunctional families on the mental health of children, in Silva (editor), Parenting in modern societies

• Mphaphuli, L.N. 2022. Discharge, resettlement and aftercare: The life of protected witnesses after the witness protection programme. ACTA Criminologica- African Journal of Criminology and Victimology, 35(1):61-77
• Mphaphuli, L.N. 2022. Witness protection programme: The views of witnesses and staff members on how children are affected by the admission of their parents into the programme. Social work/Maatskaplike werk,  58(2):146-157
• Mphaphuli, L.N. & Botha, P. 2022. Witness protection programme: The role of social workers in helping state witnesses to deal with challenges. Southern African Journal of Social Work and Social Development, 34(2):1-19
• Mphaphuli, L.N. & Botha, P. 2021. Experiences and coping strategies of protected witnesses in South Africa: A social work perspective. ACTA Criminologica-African Journal of Criminology and Victimology, 34(2): 143-162

• Member of the South African Council for Social Services Professions
• Member of the Association of South African Social Work Education Institutions

Short Biography

Dr Mphaphuli has 22 years’ experience in Social Work Practice. Her involvement in academia has focussed on teaching policy development and implementation as well as community and youth development. She is an academic and scholar with interest in the field of criminology, victimology, children and families. What makes her a researcher is not only the fact of an advanced education which provides a foundation for analytical and critical thinking as well as rigorous research but the ability to contribute to the body of knowledge through articles and book chapters published in peer reviewed journals of standing such as the ACTA Criminological, Social work/Maatskaplike Werk, Southern African journal of social work and social development, Intech Open and others. Dr Mphaphuli is an expert in the protection of vulnerable witnesses and writes on various topics with common focus of empowering victims of crime, rehabilitation of the perpetrators and family relationships. She is also involved in community engagement programmes with interest in disability issues such as community-based rehabilitation of visually impaired persons.