Violence against minors: Interpretive approaches, Prevention and Interventions

Interpretive Approaches:

Papers that examine violence against minors from theoretical, empirical, or psychosocial perspectives, aiming to understand its forms, determinants, lived experiences, and key areas of application.

• Types, forms, impact, and prevalence of violence against minors.
• Conceptual and research-based approaches to abuse and neglect.
• Indicators, protocols, and methodologies for the detection, monitoring, and management of trauma and related cases more broadly.
• Experiences of minors and perspectives of professionals, with emphasis on shared realities and differing interpretations.
• Influence of factors such as gender, disability, religion, cultural background, social differentiation, etc.
• Key areas of investigation and documentation: domestic violence, school-based violence, and gender-based violence, justice systems, digital environments, institutional settings, sports, etc.
• Use of lived experience in research and in the development of prevention and intervention policies – highlighting the “voice” of minors.
• Intergenerational cycles of violence, transmission of trauma into adulthood, impacts, and (re)victimization.

Detection and Prevention:

Papers that analyze policies, strategies, and practices for the detection and prevention of violence against minors, both at the institutional level and in safeguarding across diverse settings.

• Policies for primary and secondary prevention, as well as for the protection of minors and their families.
• Fostering an organizational culture for the protection of minors in schools, institutions, organizations, etc.
• Community-centered prevention: participatory models, cross-sector collaboration, the empowerment of local communities, etc.
• Primary prevention through education: awareness-raising and informational programs.
• Strategies in schools and communities to prevent violence and strengthen protective factors.
• Primary healthcare for the early identification of risks and early intervention.
• Development of frontline professionals’ skills in recognizing and managing cases of abuse and/or neglect cases.
• Prevention of institutionalization: avoiding removal from the family environment and supporting alternative forms of community-based care in cases where removal is necessary.
• Prevention of harmful practices (forced marriage, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, etc.).
• Protection of minors in the digital environment and support for effective parenting.

Interventions:

Papers that present interventions addressing violence against minors, focusing on institutional, interdisciplinary, therapeutic, or technological models of support and recovery.

• Institutional frameworks and existing policies for the protection of minors and the safeguarding of their rights.
• Interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration in case in the investigation of cases and the holistic care of minors who are victims of violence.
• Collaborative, cross-sector approaches for managing cases of abuse and trauma at all levels.
• Therapeutic and psychosocial interventions, as well as management tools for minors and their families.
• Deinstitutionalization initiatives and support for the transition to forms of out-of-home care.
• Good practices and innovative actions in targeted interventions for vulnerable populations of minors.
• Use of technology, artificial intelligence, and digital tools in the design and implementation of interventions.
• Active involvement of minors in the design of interventions and services – highlighting lived experience.