23 August 2011

University to host child protection conference

Photo opportunity: 4.30pm on Thursday, 1st September. Academics and practitioners from around Scotland will be available for a group photo following the end of the conference.

A multi-disciplinary conference aimed at child protection professionals and those working in related fields will take place at the University of Dundee next week.

Hosted by the University’s School of Law and School of Education, Social Work and Community Education, ‘Child Exploitation: Legal Responses to New Challenges in Child Protection’ takes place at the Bonar Hall from 9.15am to 4.30pm on Thursday, 1st September.

Academics, professionals and practitioners from across Scotland will take part in the conference, which will examine the latest research, developments and challenges in the field.

Child exploitation is a phenomenon with no boundaries and, increasingly, it has a global presence through the internet and in underground activities in all countries, including Scotland. The key aims of the conference are to:

• Enable multi-disciplinary discussions on a problem without boundaries.
• Engage participants in high level debate with acknowledged experts.
• Inform participants about new challenges posed by child exploitation.
• Inform participants about new laws to support child protection

Professor Fiona Raitt, from the School of Law, said, 'We are delighted to have brought together such a diverse audience which represents a wide range of practitioners and professions from all across Scotland.

'Our speakers are all experts in their field and are ideally placed to generate debate and encourage fresh ways of working to tackle the important issues surrounding child protection and exploitation.'

Linda Walker, Associate Dean in the School of Education, Social Work and Community Education added, 'By focusing on difficult issues such as child trafficking and identification of child abusers, this conference hits at the heart of the problems faced on a daily basis by professionals from the human services throughout Scotland and beyond.

'The conference will provide professionals from across these services with cutting edge research and practice as well as provide a platform for debate and opportunities to network.'

Speakers at the conference include Janys Scott QC, DC Chris Money from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, and Dr Xanthe Mallet, Centre for Anatomy & Human Identification, University of Dundee.

The one day conference takes place at the Ustinov Room, Bonar Hall from 9.15am-4pm on Thursday 1st September 2011.

Further details can be found at www.dundee.ac.uk/law/cpd/seminars_conferences.php.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277