Dear Colleagues:
We are so excited to welcome old and new colleagues back to the 2026 UNH Violence Prevention Research Conference!
Continuing our theme from 2024, our biennial conference highlights research on violence prevention. Interpersonal, family and community violence continue to be a global challenge with significant social, health and economic consequences.
Research is critical to understanding risk and protective factors, evaluating effective interventions, and informing policy. We welcome the chance to showcase cutting edge research on child victimization and adversity, violence against women, domestic violence, community violence and self-directed violence.
Our research-focused conference offers a unique opportunity for researchers and practitioners from a broad array of disciplines to come together for the purpose of sharing, integrating, and translating accumulated science on violence prevention.
This conference is attended by a wide range of professionals and graduate students from psychology, sociology, psychiatry, social work, nursing, women's studies, law, criminology, criminal justice, anthropology, medicine, public health, and child development. Approximately 30% of our attendees typically come from outside the United States, allowing us to showcase cutting-edge international research on violence prevention.
The most important aspect of our conference is the opportunity to interact with our colleagues. We are grateful to our many colleagues who help us create a friendly and supportive atmosphere that is welcoming to scholars of all stages of professional development. We offer many different forums and opportunities for interaction in an environment that facilitates exchanging ideas and networking. Students are encouraged to attend and present.
As before, there will be several types of presentations.
- Single Paper, oral research presentations - Our invited program offers the opportunity to hear outstanding researchers present new findings or synthesize existing knowledge. The largest amount of time in the schedule is devoted to research paper presentations of approximately 15-20 minutes each, grouped into sessions of 3-4 papers each.
- Panel Symposia - Symposia are panels that are organized in advance by the submitters. They should be comprised of 3-4 oral research presentations focused on one theme.
- Poster Session – We also offer a poster format where researchers showcase and discuss their findings with other conference attendees during an interactive session. The poster sessions include a reception with refreshments for attendees.
Submissions for all formats must be in English.
Who is sponsoring the conference?
This conference is sponsored by the Crimes Against Children Research Center (CCRC) at the University of New Hampshire. This Violence Prevention Research Conference is a continuation of conferences previously led by the University of New Hampshire’s Family Violence Research Lab. The first conference was held in 1981.
Drs. Lisa Jones and Kimberly Mitchell are co-chairing this year’s conference. However, CCRC director, Dr. David Finkelhor, will be meeting with attendees, sharing new research, and promises to entertain us with a couple of new songs!
When and where is the 2026 conference?
The 2026 conference is July 12-14 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
Portsmouth is a lovely town that is particularly beautiful in the summer months. It is perhaps one of the most walkable towns in the United States, full of historic buildings, shops, and restaurants. Portsmouth is a picturesque seaport that is an hour north of Boston, Massachusetts, and close to New Hampshire's White Mountains, Kittery’s outlet shopping, and the Maine coast. There's something for everyone in your family to enjoy. Plan to begin or end your summer vacation here in New England.
How do I submit an abstract?
We will be sending out the Call for Abstracts in November 2025 and you can submit an abstract through a link on this website. We will accept submissions from November 2025 through March 2026.
Questions about the 2026 conference can be directed to our team at: UNH_VPRconference@unh.edu
Thank you for your interest and we hope to see you in 2026!
Lisa Jones & Kimberly Mitchell, Conference Co-Chairs
