BMBF research associations against violence and abuse in childhood and adolescence

Sexual violence against children and adolescents is a serious and long known problem. Cases of physical or mental maltreatments or the neglect of children and adolescents are similar shattering. Experts from overall 30 university and non-university research institutions bring their knowledge, competence and experiences in to develope not only new insights but primarily new evidence-based treatment- and prevention-methods and to accompany it scientifically.

Competent help

Seven research associations have united themselves to offer competent psychological and medical help for humans that have own experiences in the context of (sexual) abuse, traumatic experiences in childhood and adolescence – physical and mental maltreatments. The research collaboratives also want to reach out to people who now realize as adults that they may have had similar experiences. Help is also offered to those who might feel attracted to children and and already convicted for (sexual) contact with children.

To the research associations.

Competent collaboration

A close collaboration with already existing help services is a central element that unites all research associations with each other. All associations are advised by relevant organizations so that interests of persons concerned will be integrated from the onset on in the research associations and could be respected. The intervention- and treatment-methods will also be developed and realized in close cooperation with already existing help services. The purpose is to integrate functioning – often proven since several years – help services best possible and to use the existing experiences.

To the research associations.

Competent research and Open-Source

The help services are supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung – BMBF) in the context of the line of funding “Forschungsverbünde zu Verhaltensstörungen im Zusammenhang mit ­Gewalt, Vernachlässigung, Misshandlung und Missbrauch in Kindheit und ­Jugend (Research associations on behavioral disorders regarding violence, neglect, maltreatment and abuse in childhood and adolescence)”, are accompanied accordingly to recent scientific standards and are tested regarding their effectiveness. Current neurobiological, etiological and genetic research approaches will also be pursued in the individual research associations. The emerging knowledge gain as well as newly developed treatment- and research-methods will be available without licence in most cases for all interested persons: all participating research associations confess to the Open-Source-approach.

To the research associations.