Programme
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PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
09:00
09:15
Welcome Speech
- Nikos Baltas — CEO, IASIS
09:40
Greetings and Opening Remarks
- Her Excellency Ms Alison Joy Duncan — Australian Ambassador to Greece, Romania and Bulgaria
10:10
Understanding and Responding to Trauma: Protecting Children’s Futures
- Steven Marans, MSW, PhD — Harris Professor Emeritus in the Child Study Center; Director, National Center for Children Exposed to Violence / Childhood Violent Trauma Center at the Yale Child Study Center; Director, Trauma Service; Professor of Psychiatry
11:25
Session / Roundtable — facilitated by the Care and Protection of Children (CPC) Learning Network
From evidence to action: Strategies to promote the wellbeing of youth affected by emergencies and displacement in a rapidly changing world
- Presentation 1. Claire Greene — Assistant Professor, Program on Forced Migration and Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
- Presentation 2. Charlie Branas (Gelman Professor and Chair, Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health) and Evangelia Ntzani (Professor and Head, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, University of Ioannina School of Medicine; Center for Evidence Synthesis in Health, Brown University)
- Presentation 3. Leisha Beardmore — Research Fellow, Human Rights in Trauma Mental Health Program, Stanford University; Consultant, UNFPA; Founder & Executive Director, Cadre
Session / Roundtable — facilitated by The Exodus Road
When the Threat Moves Online: How Digital Enticement is Reshaping Child Exploitation
- Presentation 1. Preston Goff — VP of Global Communications & Co-Creator of Influenced
- Presentation 2. Sarah Ray — VP of Global Programs & Co-Author of Influenced™, The Exodus Road
Session / Roundtable — facilitated by the Hellenic Forensic Psychiatric Association
Assessing parental capacity in a Forensic Psychiatry setting
- Presentation 1. Assessing parental capacity in parents with serious mental illness. Athanasios Douzenis — Professor of Forensic Psychiatry, NKUA Medical School; President of the Hellenic Forensic Psychiatric Association
- Presentation 2. Assessing parental capacity: ethical and legal implications. Marie-Louise Psarra — Clinical Forensic Psychologist, 2nd Dept of Psychiatry, NKUA, “Attikon” University General Hospital; General Secretary of the Association
- Presentation 3. Assessing parental capacity in cases of hostile divorces. Georgia Kalemi — Clinical Psychologist, 2nd Dept of Psychiatry, NKUA, “Attikon” University Hospital; Cashier of the Association
Partnership Presentations and Project Exchange
Session details coming soon12:00
13:15
Session / Roundtable — facilitated by Victim Support Europe
- Presentation 1. From First Contact to Safe Justice: New Threats, Emerging Trends, Effective Communication, and Good Practices in Comprehensive Victim Support Frameworks for Children and Youth. Efthymis Antonopoulos — Policy & Advocacy Manager, Victim Support Europe (VSE)
- Presentation 2. Out of Harm’s Way: Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence and the Istanbul Convention. Dr Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou — President of GREVIO (Council of Europe); Governing Board member, Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights
- Presentation 3. Title to be announced. George Nikolaidis — Psychiatrist; Director, Department of Mental Health and Social Welfare, Institute of Child Health
Session / Roundtable — facilitated by the Laboratory for Qualitative Research in Psychology and Psychosocial Well-Being, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
- Presentation 1. Details coming soon. Philia Issari — Professor of Counseling Psychology; Director of the Laboratory for Qualitative Research in Psychology and Psychosocial Well-Being, NKUA
Children, Relationships, and Wellbeing: Rethinking Prevention, Family Dynamics, and Protection
- Presentation 1. Parental Separation and the Reorganisation of Childhood. Georgina Dimopoulos — Associate Professor of Law, Faculty of Business, Law and Arts, Southern Cross University, Australia
- Presentation 2. The role of comprehensive sexuality education in supporting young people’s wellbeing and preventing gender-based violence: Bottom-Up Talks approach. Rūta Grigaliūnaitė (she/her) — Project Manager at CESIE ETS; Coordinator of the SexSense Network
Partnership Presentations and Project Exchange
Session details coming soon13:45
Protection Without Harm: Rethinking Child Protection Systems Through the Lens of Removal Trauma
- Stefanos Alevizos — Psychologist & Postdoctoral Researcher, IASIS NGO; Research Associate, Restorative Justice and Mediation Lab, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences
14:45
15:15
Youth Perspectives on Child Protection: Where is children’s voice in securing child safety?
- Jill Duerr Berrick — Distinguished Professor of Social Welfare, Zellerbach Family Professor, School of Social Welfare, University of California, Berkeley
16:30
Session / Roundtable — facilitated by the Cyberpsychology Research Network (CRN), University of Huddersfield
Understanding and Protecting Children and Youth in a Digital Age
- Presentation 1. The Dark Side of Belonging: Vulnerability and Emerging Online Communities. Professor Dr Maria Ioannou — Professor in Psychology, CRN, University of Huddersfield, UK
- Presentation 2. Algorithms & Circular Causality: Trapped in the Loop of Algorithmic Amplification, Psychological Feedback Cycles, and Collective Behavioural Dynamics. Dr Calli Tzani — Associate Professor in Psychology, CRN, University of Huddersfield, UK
Session / Roundtable — facilitated by the Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis
Child Safety in the Context of Parental Substance Use: Challenges of Detection, Assessment, and Intervention
- Presentation 1. Sarah Font — Professor of Social Work, Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis
- Presentation 2. Lindsey Palmer, PhD — Assistant Professor, University of Utah College of Social Work
- Presentation 3. Ezra G. Goldstein — Assistant Professor, School of Public Policy, Georgia Institute of Technology
- Presentation 1. Building Safer Digital Futures: Research, Policy and Practice on Child Protection and Technology-Facilitated Violence. Anitha Chinnaswamy — Director, GRIIT (Gender Equity Research and Inclusive Innovation in Technology) Network, Aston Business School, Aston University
- Presentation 2. Parents and the protection of minors online: a study comparing the frequency of harmful media experiences between Swedish children (13–18 years) from families with different socio-economic status. Martin Karlsson — Research officer at the Swedish Agency for the Media
- Presentation 3. Digital Connectivity in Contexts of Mobility: Children on the Move’s Experiences, Online Risks, and Pathways to Safer Digital Environments. Sofia Eleftheriadou (Clinical Psychologist and Project Officer, ARSIS), Karina Violeta Padilla Malca (Research and Learning Officer, ECPAT International), Andrea Varrella (Head of Justice and Child Rights, ECPAT International)
Partnership Presentations and Project Exchange
Session details coming soon17:00
17:15
Closing Remarks
- Stefanos Alevizos — Psychologist & Postdoctoral Researcher, IASIS NGO; Research Associate, Restorative Justice and Mediation Lab, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences
19:00
Opening Ceremony
- Greetings from Nikos Baltas, CEO of IASIS
- Young People from the Groups of IASIS NGO and DCI Greece
- Dr Najat Maalla M’jid — Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Violence Against Children
- Children’s Rights: The skies are darkening! Prof. Philip D. Jaffé — Professor Emeritus; Vice-chair, UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
- Professor Dr Vasiliki Artinopoulou — Panteion University; Director of the “Restorative Justice and Mediation” Lab and the Institute on Crime and Criminal Justice; Member of the SPT, United Nations — Head of the European Region
09:00
09:30
Reducing the Impact of Iatrogenic Outcomes: An organizational challenge to ensure child and youth wellbeing
- Yvonne M. Vissing — Professor, Department of Healthcare Studies; Director, Center for Childhood and Youth Studies; Policy Chair, UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Salem State University
10:00
Community Psychiatry in the Context of Child Protection: Resistance, Transformations, and Challenges
- Stelios Stylianidis — Psychiatrist–Psychoanalyst; Emeritus Professor of Social Psychiatry, Panteion University; Honorary President and Founder, EPAPSY
11:15
Session / Roundtable — facilitated by the Universities Network for Children in Armed Conflict
- Presentation 1. Rebuilding Childhood: Reintegration, Recovery, and Resilience after Armed Conflict. Laura Guercio — Professor at the Link Campus University Rome; Secretary General of the Universities Network for Children in Armed Conflict
- Presentation 1. Social work and children’s violence and abuse: Empowering professionals to bridge schools, families and Local Authorities. Agapi Kandylaki — Professor in Critical Counselling in Social Work and Multiculturalism, Dept of Social Work, Hellenic Mediterranean University, Heraklion, Crete
Session / Roundtable — facilitated by HIAS
- Presentation 1. Children on the move: Challenges and legal avenues. Effie Thanou — Staff Attorney at HIAS Greece
Partnership Presentations and Project Exchange
Session details coming soon11:45
13:00
Session / Roundtable — facilitated by EuroHealthNet
- Presentation 1. Title to be announced. Huw Williams — Professor in Clinical Neuropsychology; Co-Director, Centre for Clinical Neuropsychology Research (CCNR); Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement, University of Exeter, UK
- Presentation 2. Connecting Health, Social Care, and Education: Community-Based Mental Health Services for Children and Youth at Risk. Elena Kopcova, PhD & Martin Mnahoncak, PhD, MBA — TENENET (NGO), Slovakia
Session / Roundtable — facilitated by the Association for Social Development and Aid Mobilization (ASAM)
Frontline Child Protection at Border Points: Identification, Vulnerability Assessment and Safe Referral Mechanisms
Speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.Partnership Presentations and Project Exchange
Session details coming soon14:00
15:15
Session / Roundtable — facilitated by the Institute for Children’s Futures, Manchester Metropolitan University
- Presentation 1. Prof. Saul Becker — Faculty Pro Vice Chancellor, Dept of Health & Education, MMU; Founding Director of the ICF
- Presentation 2. Prof. Michelle McManus — Director of the ICF; Professor in Safeguarding and Violence Prevention
- Presentation 3. Prof. Deborah James — Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor, Health & Social Care
- Presentation 4. Dr Seamus Byrne — Reader in Law and Faculty Lead for the ICF; qualified Barrister focusing on children’s rights, education law and SEND
- Presentation 5. Sarah McGuire — Head of Business Engagement & Partnerships, ICF
- Presentation 1. Big Talks for Little People — Digital Mental Health Program for Primary Schools: An International Program. Phillip Thomas Slee — Professor (Emeritus) in Human Development, Flinders University
Partnership Presentations and Project Exchange
Session details coming soon15:45
17:00
Session / Roundtable — facilitated by the Association for Free Play
Free Play as a Protective Factor in Child and Youth Wellbeing
- Presentation 1. Borbála Marosán — Junior Research Fellow, PhD candidate in Sociology; Member, Association for Free Play
- Presentation 2. Borka Moravcsik — Product and Service Designer; Member, Association for Free Play
- Presentation 3. Hanna Szalai-Szabó — Learning Environment Designer; Member, Association for Free Play
- Presentation 1. Konstantina Sklavou — Associate Professor, Dept of Social Work, University of West Attica; Chair, Society for Mental Health of Children and Adolescents (EPSYYPE)
Partnership Presentations and Project Exchange
Session details coming soon17:30
- Richard Weissbourd — Senior Lecturer and Faculty Director, Making Caring Common, Harvard Graduate School of Education
18:30
Meet the full list of speakers →
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What leading experts say about CTP Conference
In a world where so many children now grow up amid conflict, climate disruption, digital harms, and shrinking safety nets, the “Connect to Protect – Children and Youth at Risk” international conference in Athens offers a vital opportunity to refine... and perhaps even reimagine... how we connect across systems to protect those most at risk. Even in an age of polycrisis and fiscal austerity, the protection and care of children cannot be allowed to unravel. This moment demands that we put our minds together not only to prevent further erosion, but to trigger the opposite dynamic: renewed commitment, smarter cooperation, and more resilient child protection systems.
PANTEION UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL AND POLITICAL SCIENCES, SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT, DIRECTOR of the ‘Restorative Justice and Mediation’ Lab, DIRECTOR of the Institute on Crime and Criminal Justice, EUROPEAN PUBLIC LAW ORGANIZATION, MEMBER of SPT, United Nations, Head of the European Region
Violence against children remains one of the most serious and preventable violations of human rights. In line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, effective prevention requires coherent and comprehensive national strategies that translate international obligations into sustained public action. By strengthening evidence-informed, rights-based policies, enhancing coordination across sectors, and ensuring that the best interests of the child guide all measures, States can move from formal commitments to meaningful and lasting protection. This conference will advance dialogue and cooperation in support of prevention-oriented national responses that safeguard children from violence in all settings.
Distinguished Professor of Social Welfare Zellerbach Family Professor School of Social Welfare | University of California, Berkeley
I look forward to meeting you in beautiful Athens where we will engage in a lively discussion about the role of children in charting their own destiny to secure their safety and well-being
Psychologist & Postdoctoral Researcher IASIS NGO, Research Associate, Restorative Justice and Mediation Lab, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences
The Connect to Protect – Children & Youth at Risk Conference was created as a space where research, professional practice, and public policy come together to improve the protection of children and young people at risk. Children today face complex and overlapping risks, including violence, neglect, mental health challenges, social exclusion, and digital harm. These challenges require child protection systems that are not only effective, but also humane, coordinated, and trauma-informed. While the world around children is constantly changing, the fundamental rights of children remain unchanged. The principles and spirit of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child continue to serve as a stable and universal framework that guides our responsibility to protect, support, and respect every child. In times of social, technological, and cultural transformation, safeguarding these rights becomes even more essential. This conference brings together researchers, frontline professionals, policy makers, and civil society organisations to share knowledge, reflect on current practices, and explore better ways to protect children and youth. The goal is not only to discuss problems, but to support cooperation and practical solutions that place the best interests of the child at the centre. Connect to Protect aims to build stronger links between knowledge, practice, and policy, and to contribute to child protection systems that truly protect without causing additional harm.
Connect to Protect – Children & Youth at Risk Conference is an international forum dedicated to strengthening child protection and improving outcomes for vulnerable children, adolescents, and young people. Organised by IASIS NGO, the conference brings together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and organisations working across sectors to address the most pressing challenges affecting children and youth today.
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Philip D. Jaffé
Professor Emeritus, Vice-chair UN Committee on the Rights of the Child