Thank you for Joining Us in Vilnius.
We Look Forward to Seeing You at ISPCAN Melbourne 2026!
Over the five days of learning, connection, and innovation in Vilnius, we had the privilege of bringing together professionals from over 80 countries and across more than 15 disciplines — all united by one shared goal: advancing child protection and well-being around the world. ISPCAN continues to build a global community of collaboration and shared purpose, both online and in person. We hope that here in Vilnius, you discovered new colleagues, new perspectives, and new inspiration — and that you return home with fresh ideas to strengthen your work and your networks.
From all of us at ISPCAN and the Lithuanian local team at the Ombudsperson office and the University, we thank you for your presence, your passion, and your contributions. We extend our heartfelt appreciation to our keynote speakers, chairs, and session presenters for their thought-provoking insights and dedication. A special thank you to our partners, sponsors, and supporters, whose generosity and collaboration made this Congress possible.
To our Organizing Team and Lithuanian hosts — your months of planning, hospitality, and care made this week a true success. We are deeply grateful for your hard work behind the scenes. Our authors, practitioners, policy makers, governments and researchers have shared groundbreaking insights on practice, policy, public health, and research — all helping to raise the global standard for protecting children everywhere.
As we close, we look ahead — to our next ISPCAN Congress in Melbourne, our “Huddle” events, and many ISPCAN member opportunities that continue this spirit of learning and multidisciplinary exchange. Together, we will continue to #RiseUptoEndChildAbuse, united as a global community taking action that makes a difference.
Thank you once again for making the ISPCAN Congress 2025 in Vilnius such an inspiring success. Each of you is a leader that can take home a spark of inspiration and ideas to push your work forward in new ways. You are not alone in this mission — together, we can and will create safer futures for children everywhere.
With gratitude,
Edita Žiobienė
Ombudsperson for Child's Rights
Independent State Institution of Lithuania
Roma Jusienė
Scientific Chair
Vilnius Unversity Lithuania
Pragathi Tummala
CEO
ISPCAN
Aby Casas Munoz
Scientific Chair
National Autonomous University of Mexico
Inspiring Keynote Speakers
Jennie Noll, PhD
Professor, Department of Psychology Executive Director, Mt. Hope Family Center
University of Rochester
Keynote Title
Preventing and addressing child abuse in this age of shrinking resources and support; A message of HOPE through science
Rimantas Kėvalas, MD, PhD
Head of Department of Pediatrics of the Hospital of Lithuanian
University of Health Sciences (LSMU) Kauno klinikos
Keynote Title
Helping abused children: Changes and challenges
Jeremy Shiffman, PhD
Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Global Health Policy
Johns Hopkins University
Keynote Title
National priority for and capacity to address child sexual abuse: Findings from a six-country research project
Agnes von Maravić
Head of the Children's Rights Division
Council of Europe
Keynote Title
Children’s rights during war – Voices of children in Ukraine
Richard D. Krugman, MD
Distinguished Professor of Pediatrics
The Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse & Neglect
Keynote Title
After a half century of effort, is it time for a “reboot”?
John Carr, OBE
Senior Expert Adviser to the United Nations (International Telecommunication Union)
Keynote Title
A long and winding road: The internet and threats to children
Dr Najat Maalla M’jid
Special Representative on Violence against Children for the United Nations
Opening Remarks for the inaugural Rise Up Policy Forum
This Impactful Congress Featured:
- 95 parallel sessions
- 628 submitted abstracts with 346 oral presentations from 280 speakers
- 7 Pre-Congress half and full day Working Group Sessions
- 23 workshops
- 20 symposia
- 5 master classes
- 2 multimedia presentation
- 125 posters on-site
Rise Up Policy Forum Brings Value and Delivers Change
Youth Forum Presentation
YOUNG HEARTS, GREAT STRENGTH
In Lithuania, 1165 children shared their deepest wish – to feel less anger, less anxiety, less sadness and less of the heavy thought that they are “not enough”
They try to cope through music, tears, silence, or by hiding what they truly feel.
- But Children deserve more
- They Deserve to be seen, heard and embraced
- Because every feeling matters and every connection can heal
Stay close. Give meaning. Empower through love.
Poster Winners
Advocating for family care for children through reintegrating with their biological parents or kinship care
Raju Ghimire
Violent Discipline Methods in Mexico; Trends and Associated Factors Among Children and Adolescents
Abigail Casas Munoz
Climate Change, Vulnerability and Migration: Impacts on children and youth in Southeast Asia
Amy Collins
4 Powerful Days in Vilnius
Congress Theme: Child Wellbeing in a Changing Reality
Empowerment of child victim / survivor
- Ensuring the rights, needs and well-being of child victim, witness (seeing, hearing, understanding,
recognizing, responding, guiding). - Preventing recantation, encouraging cooperation with child, ensuring support when legal process falls
short. - Extra-Vulnerable Groups – children in foster care, LGBTQI+, children with disabilities, special
needs, minority groups, street children, children on the move, runaway, etc. - Realizing the right to participate and be heard for child victim / survivor.
- Children’s ethical, safe and meaningful participation in research.
- Resilience and positive childhood experiences
Child and Families lost between and within sectors and services
- The intersection between systems: roles, responsibilities, barriers and solutions.
- Gatekeeping in abuse and neglect situations.
- Children in family crises (violence, abuse, maltreatment, divorces, etc.).
- Circle of support for child and family and accountability of stake holders.
- Balancing justice, support and well-being in child abuse and neglect cases: best practices for effective collaborative integration of legal, child rights protection and support systems, interdisciplinary and multi-agency collaboration models, etc.
- Forensic interviews and forensic psychiatric, forensic psychological evaluations of a child (separate or complementary, mandatory processes, etc.).
- Collaboration of sectors and building capacity of child protective services, law enforcement and other systems.
Rethinking outcomes in victims / survivors of violence
- Understanding the impact of neglect and different forms of violence and abuse on child and family –
the role of the interdisciplinary approach. - Child-on-child abuse, victim – offender overlap.
- Mental health outcomes in survivors of violence (addictions, self-harm, etc.).
- Other short and long term outcomes of violence and abuse (health, socioeconomic, etc.).
- Multiculturalism, multi-faithism, harmful practices (genital mutilation, child marriages, etc.).
- Adverse childhood experiences, polyvictimization, and intergenerational abuse.
- Trauma – informed and trauma transformative practice.
- Innovative, effective and evidence-based solutions to mental health and other outcomes of violence and abuse.
Safeguarding children through education and prevention – readiness to ensure child welfare
- Children in formal education settings.
- Children in non-formal education: religious, sports, culture, recreation activities.
- Readiness for diversity.
- Striving to overcoming bullying.
- Comprehensive sexuality education – an essential part of good education.
- Parenting and scale up of prevention programs.
Child safety in a digital environment
- Digital Childhood.
- Impact of new technologies.
- Children preparedness to respond to risks (cyber bullying, sexting, etc.).
- Responsibilities of stakeholders in policy and practice.
- Research questions, solutions and studies to understand and anticipate harms.
- Child’s exploitation online (AI, child trafficking, grooming, sextortion, etc.).
Evidence based approaches to prevent child abuse, neglect, and interpersonal violence
- Measurement (tools and instruments, prevalence and epidemiology, etc.).
- Prevention: primary (before happening), secondary (early detection and treatment), tertiary
(preventing replication). - Examining the structures in place for child protective services system efficiency and effectiveness
(government, NGOs, UN, etc.). - Quality improvement, system change, and capacity building in child protective services systems.
- Research gaps and challenges.
- Reporting, surveillance, evaluation of programs and outcome measurements.
Relive the memories and see what you missed!
Vilnius Debuted the Inaugural Rise Up Policy Forum
Creating a new international community of practice for governments, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners: connecting the dots, learning together, and doing better.
Key Objectives:
- Advance Child Protection Policies: Promote the development and implementation of effective, evidence-based child protection policies grounded in public health principles at local, national, and global levels.
- Foster a Community of Learning: Bring together policymakers, practitioners, researchers, survivors and youth leaders annually to co-create solutions and exchange best practices.
- Integrate Research and Practice: Encourage alignment of data and research with practical applications to inform shareable data-driven solutions and enhance accountability.
- Catalyze Regional Solutions: Develop context-specific, scalable strategies that address regional challenges and support sustainable, community-led change.
- Resource Maximization and Sector Collaboration: Optimize use of resources and crosssector collaboration to assist governments in child protection prevention and response.
Rise Up Policy Forum Sessions
Advancing Lithuania’s Multi-sectoral Approach to Child Protection Across Three Ministries
Primary Pillar(s): Governance and multi-sectoral coordination , A National Action Plan, capacity building and scaled solutions
Building the Investment Case for Ending Violence Against Children: The Investment Toolkit and an Example of Country Implementation
Primary Pillar(s): A National Action Plan, capacity building and scaled solutions
Safety Ambassadors: A Pioneering Policing Strategy Promoting Child Confidence and Safety Through Child Participation
Primary Pillar(s): Child, survivor and community participation
Achieving a Paradigm Shift in Addressing Child Sexual Exploitation: Transformative Preventative Policing Strategies
Primary Pillar(s): Governance and multi-sectoral coordination , A National Action Plan, capacity building and scaled solutions
Safe to Learn: A Breakthrough Approach to Ending Violence Against Children through Safe and Enabling Schools
Primary Pillar(s): Data and evidence, A National Action Plan, capacity building and scaled solutions
Bridging the Gap: How Governments Can Lead with Vision, Evidence, and Practice to End Childhood Sexual Violence
Primary Pillar(s): Data and evidence, A National Action Plan, capacity building and scaled solutions
A Social Determinants Framework for Implementing the INSPIRE Technical Package for Ending Violence Against Children
Primary Pillar(s): Governance and multi-sectoral coordination , A National Action Plan, capacity building and scaled solutions
Alumbra: Knowledge and Practice Community for the Prevention of Child Sexual Violence in Mexico
Primary Pillar(s): A continuum of prevention and response services
Building a Coordinated National System: Jordan’s Multisectoral Approach to Ending Violence Against Children
Primary Pillar(s): Governance and multi-sectoral coordination
Pathway to Universal Access to Parent and Caregiver Support
Primary Pillar(s): Data and evidence, A National Action Plan, capacity building and scaled solutions
Bridging Commitments and Implementation: Lessons in Scaling Parenting Support
Primary Pillar(s): A National Action Plan, capacity building and scaled solutions
Sector Strategies to Align Evidence, Technology, and Policy
Primary Pillar(s): Data and evidence
The Health Sector’s Role in Preventing and Responding to Violence against Children
Primary Pillar(s): A National Action Plan, capacity building and scaled solutions, A continuum of prevention and response services
Ensuring a Safe Future for Every Child: Harnessing the Power of Collaborative Engagement and Child Participation for a World Free of Child Labour
Primary Pillar(s): Governance and multi-sectoral coordination , Child, survivor and community participation
Investment with Impact – Multidisciplinary Collaboration in Cases Concerning Violence Against Children (Barnahus) with Country Examples
Primary Pillar(s): Governance and multi-sectoral coordination , A continuum of prevention and response services
The Case for Missingness of Children and Adolescents as an Adverse Childhood Experience
Primary Pillar(s): Governance and multi-sectoral coordination , Child, survivor and community participation
Bringing Social Work to Bear for Child Well-being in Crisis, with Examples from Crisis-affected Countries
Primary Pillar(s): Governance and multi-sectoral coordination , A National Action Plan, capacity building and scaled solutions
Family Resource Centres: A Low Cost, High Impact, Upstream Policy Strategy for Ensuring Children & Families Thrive
Primary Pillar(s): A continuum of prevention and response services, Child, survivor and community participation
Bridging the Knowledge Triad: Integrating Data, Practice-Based Expertise, and Lived Experience to Strengthen Child Protection
Primary Pillar(s): Data and evidence, Child, survivor and community participation
The Whole of Government Approach to Promoting Child Wellbeing in Uganda, with Introduction to the CPSS Framework for Action
Primary Pillar(s): Governance and multi-sectoral coordination , A National Action Plan, capacity building and scaled solutions
Cultivating Change in Advancing Child Protection Systems in Somalia Through Collaborative Efforts and Coordinated Actions
Primary Pillar(s): Policy and legislation, Governance and multi-sectoral coordination
ISPCAN's Precongress Working Groups
We brought together experts from around the world to work together on a specific aspect of child abuse and neglect and achieve the goals set forth by the group. The groups included participants from across multiple disciplines who met together and shared their expertise, resources, data, reports, and are working to build new tools together to address a gap. Visit the Working Group pages below to learn more about the Vilnius Congress sessions.
Child Maltreatment Data Collection
The goal for this group is to identify and share the key methodological approaches and findings and to explore areas of difference and comparability. The group seeks to include participants from a range of countries in order to represent a broad diversity of cultures, approaches to service delivery, languages, methodologies, and comparative data.
N.E.X.T Network of Emerging eXpertise in child proTection
ISPCAN NEXT is a supportive, global network of emerging child protection professionals. Equipping the next generation of global leaders in child protection with knowledge, connections, and tools to create a safer and more supportive world for children, now and in the future.
Parenting and Scale-Up Working Group
Our goal for this Working Group is to have a collective group of people collaborating, learning from one another and engaging to provide personal growth in your daily work. The Parenting Working Group will be moderated by Genevieve Haupt Ronnie and Saara Thakur from the Global Parenting Initiative
Trauma Informed Care/Mental Health
We are bringing together trauma-informed care and practices that would be beneficial to any community. The goal is to develop practical tools and resources that make providing mental health care attainable for children and families.
Multi-disciplinary Collaborative Practice
The Mission of this working group is to share ideas around collaborative practices, and best ways to expand collaboration across sectors, regions, and the world. Our goal is to have global responses to child abuse to benefit all children, regardless of geographic location and resources.
Child Death Review Working Group
Child Death Review (CDR) is a systematic process aimed at examining child fatalities to identify causes and implement preventive measures to enhance child safety and health. This working group is a community of practice shared learning for members to connect and build lines of communication with one another, share ideas, skills, research, resources, multiple perspectives, and new information regarding this topic.
The Intersection of Schools and Child Protection
The aspiration is that the group will enable sharing of research and professional knowledge from different countries, provide a global picture of how education systems deal with the phenomenon of child maltreatment in order to advance practice and policy in this field
Child Safeguarding Working Group
The Child Safeguarding Working Group is specifically focused on implementing preventative actions that ensure that all children and young people are protected from deliberate or unintentional acts that could lead to the risk of or actual harm. Thia group plays an important role in protecting children from harm, abuse, neglect, or exploitation
Attendees Enjoyed Additional Congress Benefits
Fun and Exciting Lithuanian Cultural Experience
Complimentary Congress Bags
Free Educational Tours
Social Networking
Free Selfcare & Wellness Programs
Free Welcome Reception
View Vilnius Presentations
Access the presentations until April 30th, 2026
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Upcoming Congress
Join Us In Melbourne
August 24th - 27th, 2026
Mark Your Calendar Abstracts open Nov 3, 2025
- Free Pre-congress working groups addressing gaps (August 23rd)
- 3 Full Days of Innovative Research and Best Practice
- Day 4: Rise Up Policy Forum
(add on ticket – August 27th)
Gold Sponsor
SOS-Kinderdörfer weltweit joins ISPCAN as a strategic partner in 2025. For over 75 years, this international child rights organization has advanced children’s rights to safe, nurturing, and violence-free development –regardless of background, faith, or circumstances. Through evidence-based family strengthening, education, emergency response, and child protection programming, SOS-Kinderdörfer weltweit develops internationally recognized standards, policies, and interventions that are globally informed yet locally implemented.
Sponsors
Local Partners
Exhibitors
