Center for Safe and Healthy Children

Building a world where all children can live and grow in health and safety

When children are safe, their likelihood for optimal development is significantly increased. The stress of early-life trauma and adversity can impact myriad physical, mental, behavioral, and emotional health throughout development. The Center for Safe and Healthy Children is a key national resource for supporting and growing cutting-edge research focused on creating safe environments and mitigating the effects of early-life stress [including child abuse, racism, gender discrimination, family violence, family separation and extreme poverty] on wellbeing over the life-course.

A group of children are looking through magnifying glasses in an outdoor setting

About

The center promotes safe and healthy environments for all children through innovative research, high quality training, and evidence-informed policymaking.

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Research

Research at the center aims to heal the harms of extreme stress or trauma during childhood and to prevent childhood sexual abuse

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Training

The center is working to create the next generation of scholars in child maltreatment science via a T32 grant from NICHD and other programs

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Contact

Learn more about or reach out to our team of researchers, trainees, and staff.

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Center of Excellence

The Center for Safe and Healthy Children is first in the nation to be designated and funded as a 'Center of Excellence' in child maltreatment by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. This designation means that the center will conduct cutting-edge research and serve as a national resource on issues related to the maltreatment of children.

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Preventing child sexual abuse

One in five females and one in 13 males are victims of child sexual abuse before age 18. A central focus of the Center for Safe and Healthy Children is stopping sexual abuse before it happens. Accomplishing this requires coordinated efforts of schools, parents, children, and community members to enhance safety for all children.

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Promoting evidence-based policy

The center uses the empirically tested Research to Policy Collaboration (RPC) model to increase use of research in evidence-informed decision making; specifically to advance legislative priorities regarding sound child-health practice and policies and to increase public investment in prevention and access to treatment.

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Methods Consulting

The center will develop and leverage state-of-the-art statistical methods for data that is collected over time. This research can improve life-course risk modeling and personalized medicine. Zachary Fisher, assistant professor of human development and family studies, will guide researchers in conducting cutting-edge analyses, producing competitive grant proposals, facilitating collaborations, and applying life-course risk models.

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