The Global Scientific Conference on 21st Century Child Abuse is an invitation-only gathering of the world’s leading researchers on tech-facilitated child abuse. The date of this event recently changed. Now, it will be held in Rome, Italy, June 2026 (exact dates TBD). The aim of the conference is to survey the state of global research on this rapidly growing and little understood phenomenon in order to identify research gaps and collaborative research opportunities. Participants will work together during this intensive two-day conference to develop a Global Research Agenda to help accelerate established knowledge related to 21st Century Child Abuse.

The world is awakening to children’s risks, harms, and opportunities via the internet, social media and related digital technologies. Unfortunately, much of our knowledge and understanding of this complex problem is emerging and largely anecdotal. Many of us are being asked to provide reliable epidemiological research and other study approaches to help support the development of research-informed and evidence-based laws and policies to balance children’s rights to both participation and protection in digital environments. In order to do that, we need comprehensive research to address areas such as prevalence, neurological impacts, developmental triggers, genetic and genomic factors, genetic expression effects, behavioral and physical health and wellbeing outcomes, sociological and cultural intersections, and much more.

In addition to leading researchers focused on tech-facilitated child abuse, a limited number of policymakers, youth, advocates, funders, and tech industry representatives will be invited. Our aim is to ensure that research in this area is well-funded, relevant to those most affected, and used to ensure that private and public policies are developed that are evidence-based and research-informed.

The hosts of this extraordinary conference are: 

• La Sapienza University of Rome, a public research university founded in 1303;
• The Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect, founded by Dr. Henry Kempe in 1972 and based at the University of Colorado School of Medicine;
• Fondazione SOS Il Telefono Azzurro ETS

Our Scientific Partner is the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse & Neglect (ISPCAN), the world’s largest multidisciplinary research organization working to end child abuse and neglect. In conjunction with the conference, we will be publishing a special issue of Child Protection & Practice focused on 21^st Century Child Abuse. Guest editors include Professor Jim Leckman (Yale University), Professor Ernesto Caffo (University of Modena & Reggio Emilia, Professor Ethel Quayle (University of Edinburgh), Professor Debi Fry (Childlight, University of Edinburgh), Professor John Fluke (ISPCAN and Kempe Center, University of Colorado), Professor Michael Salter (UNSW, Sydney), and Professor Warren Binford (Kempe Center, University of Colorado). ISPCAN has generously waived all publication fees for the special issue.

The Opening Session of the Conference has included a reception for all participants.

The conference program will consist of plenary sessions focused on major questions facing our field to spark our discussions, interspersed with workgroup sessions to craft the Global Research Agenda.

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