Keeping children safe online is an enormous challenge facing society today, but it's one that Middlesex University Law School's Centre for Abuse and Trauma Studies (CATS) considers a chief priority.
Led by Centre directors Professor Antonia Bifulco and Professor Julia Davidson, CATS' expert team of researchers tackles contemporary issues such as internet child abuse, cyberbullying, sexting and online stalking, with the aim of making the internet a safer place for all young people.
Most recently, CATS joined forces with partners in Italy, Ireland and the Netherlands to start work on a European Commission-funded research project tasked with identifying new strategies for law enforcement in order to prevent online child abuse and improve the profiling of child victims.
"Keeping vulnerable children and young people safe when online is a priority for the work of CATS."
By helping to establish guidelines for law enforcement agencies and industry bodies, the multinational research group hopes to create a safer online environment for children and young people across the EU and beyond.
"Keeping vulnerable children and young people safe when online is a priority for the work of CATS," commented Professor Davidson, who is also the Director of Research in the Department of Criminology and Sociology at Middlesex.
"This new study will help us to further understand those who are preying on children. This isn't just a problem in the UK or EU; it's a problem that crosses boarders. These findings will resonate across the globe."
As well as looking at issues surrounding online forms of abuse, CATS also carries out important work on subjects such as domestic violence, sexual assault and child trafficking.
