|
|
|
Dear VPF Friends,
Welcome to the Violence Prevention Forum newsletter. On a bi-weekly basis we will be sharing research, resources, upcoming events and opportunities. We hope you find this a useful resource.
For any resources and events you'd like to share in this newsletter or queries, contact vpf@issafrica.org.
|
|
|---|
|
 |
HSRC Engaged Research Conference
The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) hosted the Engaged Research Conference from 22-24 October at The Birchwood Hotel and OR Tambo Conference Centre.
The theme was “Engaged Research as a Pathway to Bridging Knowledge and Society.” The aim was to bring together researchers, practitioners, community members, and policymakers from around the continent and beyond to explore innovative approaches to engaged research that address societal challenges.
In line with the theme, the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) facilitated a hybrid pre-conference workshop titled “Building Effective Partnerships between Researchers, Government, and NGOs for Human Prosperity: Lessons from the National Violence Prevention Forum.” This was an opportunity to hear experiences of multisectoral collaboration across sectors, share lessons from the VPF, and for participants to experience an alternative, dialogue-based workshop approach that promotes active listening, empathy, and collective understanding.
The ISS also presented findings from three case studies conducted in 2023, exploring what motivated NGOs, researchers, and policymakers to participate in the Forum, as well as the 2023 assessment of the Hoekwil and Touwsranten community dialogue.
Participants valued how the VPF practically demonstrates engagement across sectors, highlighting the challenges and mechanisms for overcoming differences and achieving systemic change, such as well-facilitated sustained dialogue. Researchers valued how the VPF has enabled the use of evidence in policy and practice. One workshop participant who partners with researchers said, ‘I am grateful for this space, as it has provided insight into challenges that researchers face that I was not aware of. It is refreshing to be in a conference space with such rich dialogue’.
|
|
|---|
|
|
 |
Alan J Flisher Memorial lecture 2025:“Parenting, mental health, going to scale, and learning from things gone wrong" by Prof Catherine Ward
The Alan J. Flisher Memorial Lecture is held annually to honor the legacy of Prof Flisher, a pioneer in public mental health in South Africa and a world-renowned scientist, mentor, and mental health professional. This year will welcome Prof Catherine Ward as the speaker.
Prof Ward, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Cape Town, focuses on violence prevention through the lens of children’s development. Her work emphasises evidence-based approaches that protect children, support their development, and reduce the likelihood of aggressive behaviour.
In her lecture, titled “Parenting, mental health, going to scale, and learning from things gone wrong,” Prof Ward will discuss the development of the Parenting for Lifelong Health programmes for Young Children and for Parents and Teens. She will share insights from studies that aimed to scale these programmes, highlighting both successes and lessons learned.
Date: 4 November 2025
Time: 12:30-13:30 (Hybrid event)
|
|
|---|
|
|
 |
Webinar: iGuardian Program for Trusted Adults , keeping kids safe in a rapidly changing digital environment
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) presents Project iGuardian®, a free, online webinar designed to educate parents, educators, law enforcement, and other trusted adults about the risks children face in the online environment. The webinar will cover tactics used by online predators, the rising crime of sextortion, the information devices can reveal, and the latest apps, games, and social networks children are using. Real-life scenarios from local investigations will help participants understand how children and teens are victimized online.
The webinar is part of the Know2Protect Campaign and will be delivered by HSI subject matter experts. It provides practical strategies for prevention, reporting suspected abuse, and creating safer digital spaces for children. Online child sexual exploitation and abuse is a growing global problem, and this session equips trusted adults with the tools and knowledge to respond effectively.
Date: 12 November 2025
Time: 05:00 PM
Venue: Online , zoom platform
|
|
|---|
|
|
SVRI Forum 2026: Help shape the dialogic and plenary session
The SVRI Forum 2026 is currently shaping its program and invites your input to guide the development of plenary and dialogic sessions. This is an opportunity for the Violence Prevention Forum (VPF) network to influence the themes and discussions that will be featured at the event.
Your participation will help ensure that the forum addresses the most pressing issues in violence prevention, including topics like backlash against gender equality, technology-facilitated gender-based violence, climate change, and innovations in prevention and response.
Closing date: 30 November 2025
|
|
|---|
|
|
 |
Safety 2026: 16th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion
The World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion is coming to South Africa. The conference aligns with the 30th anniversary of the WHO Resolution that declared violence a public health priority, in which South Africa played a pivotal role.
Injuries accounting for 8% of global deaths, claiming more than 4.4 million lives annually. Low- and middle-income countries suffer most of this burden accounting for 90% of injuries globally and 83% of injury-related deaths, with South Africa among the most severely affected.
The conference will explore the structural, social and commercial drivers of injury risk, and potential solutions through an African lens that is universally applicable.
Under the theme: Ubuntu:United for a Safer Future, the conference will highlight the importance of collective action and shared responsibility in injury and violence prevention. The conference is a call to action to put safety and public health at the forefront of policy considerations.
Registration and the call for abstracts are now open via the conference website, here.
Closing date for abstract submission: 31 January 2026
Conference Date: 2-4 September 2026
Venue: Cape Town International Convention Centre, in South Africa
|
|
|---|
|
|
 |
Study opportunity:PhD Studentship in HCI and Technology-Facilitated Abuse
The Gender and Tech Lab at University College London (UCL) is offering a fully funded PhD studentship focused on Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) and usable security to address technology-facilitated intimate partner violence (IPV). This opportunity is ideal for those interested in applying technical expertise to real-world challenges, aiming to create survivor-centered solutions that inform practice, policy, and design.
The studentship, supported by a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship, invites applicants to define their own project within the broad remit of technology-facilitated IPV or related forms of gender-based violence. Potential research directions include auditing and analyzing apps, designing new tools or safeguards, evaluating existing technologies, exploring socio-technical dynamics, or applying computational methods like machine learning or natural language processing. The program emphasizes collaboration with charities, policymakers, and industry partners, ensuring that research has a tangible impact on the ground.
This PhD follows a publication-based model, with opportunities to publish in leading venues such as CHI, SOUPS, and USENIX. Applicants should demonstrate technical expertise and a commitment to survivor-centered, ethical research practices. The studentship offers a supportive and interdisciplinary environment, weekly supervision, and career development opportunities to prepare graduates for careers in academia, industry, or policy.
Deadline for applications: 5 January 2026
|
|
|---|
|
|
 |
Podcast spotlight: Understanding IPV over time, The power of longitudinal Research
Understanding intimate partner violence (IPV) takes more than a single moment — it requires tracking experiences, communities, and systems over time. This episode, hosted by Ayesha Mago, Global Advocacy Director at the Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI), explores how longitudinal research helps us see how violence develops, shifts, or declines across life stages — and why this evidence is vital for prevention.
Guests Kate Doyle (Equimundo, Rwanda’s Bandebereho programme) and Dr. Khadija Mitu (University of Chittagong, Bangladesh; GAGE research programme) share insights from their work on how sustained, community-rooted studies can identify risk and protective factors that short-term research often misses. They discuss the practical challenges of conducting long-term studies, the ethical responsibilities researchers hold, and how their findings can inform effective policy and programming.
Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of why evidence over time matters, how it can transform prevention strategies, and practical advice for securing funding and sustaining longitudinal research efforts.
|
|
|---|
|
|
 |
State of Urban Safety in South Africa 2024 Report
The South African Cities Network, in collaboration with GIZ and Global Affairs Canada, has released the fifth edition of the State of Urban Safety in South Africa Report. This comprehensive report provides an updated analysis of crime and violence trends across nine major South African cities, including Johannesburg, Cape Town, eThekwini, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane, Nelson Mandela Bay, Mangaung, Buffalo City, and Msunduzi. It highlights the work of the Urban Safety Reference Group (USRG) from 2022 to 2024 and marks a decade of collaborative efforts to improve city-level safety governance.
The 2024 report continues the USRG's mission to offer cities an authoritative, incremental, and longitudinal view of crime and violence, supporting evidence-based decision-making. A key feature of this edition is the spatialization of crime data, allowing for a detailed understanding of crime distribution per city. This approach empowers urban planners and safety practitioners to target interventions more effectively, especially in the context of limited resources.
|
|
|---|
|
|
| |
| |
|
View this email in your browser
You are receiving this email because of your relationship with Violence Prevention Forum @ the Institute for Security Studies. Please reconfirm your interest in receiving emails from us. If you do not wish to receive any more emails, you can unsubscribe here.
|
|
 |
|  |
|
|
|
|
