News & Activities

Our team members, Prof Elena Martellozzo, Paula Bradbury and Boglarka Meggyesfalvi recently participated in the Annual Safeguarding Conference of the Safeguarding and Child Protection Association (SACPA) and Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA). The presentation focused on our recent research into safeguarding children in virtual reality.
One of the highlights of the event was when we had the chance to watch two short videos made by educational practitioners interviewing children before and after watching our short videos on navigating the Metaverse safely:
link to playlist. A great feedback from them showcased that they found it understandable, insightful and usable.
We’d like to extend our gratitude to Claire Dan, her team, the other panellist professionals, and to all the children who contributed their perspectives, adding depth and relevance to the conversation. This event marks an important step in our ongoing work to ensure our outputs reach impact beyond the academic community and help enhance safety in the day-to-day work of practitioners. We look forward to continuing the dialogue and developing our research further.
For parents, educators, and professionals: Download the VIRRAC Toolkit report here for free.
VIRRAC (Virtual Reality Risks Against Children) was led by Professor Julia Davidson OBE, Director of the Institute of Connected Communities (University of East London), and Prof Elena Martellozzo, Associate Director at the Centre For Abuse & Trauma Studies (Middlesex University), with essential contributions from Dr Ruby Farr, Paula Bradbury, and Boglarka Meggyesfalvi, funded by the REPHRAIN National Research Centre on Privacy, Harm Reduction and Adversarial Influence Online.

Join us on the 6th of February 2025 for the discussion and talks by professionals on AI’s role in advancing justice.
What benefits and barriers do you see in using AI in a policing/justice context?
What are the urgent next steps that need to be taken to advance the use of AI in the criminal justice field?
Join us for our free online event, hosted by herEthical AI and Middlesex University: Beyond Bureaucracy: Applied AI in the Criminal Justice System.
Limited spaces are available so please secure your place by scanning on the QR code or clicking the link in the comments section to register.
As we explore the potential of AI in the criminal justice system, we must consider how the technologies can contribute to preventing and addressing gender-based violence, aligning with the campaign’s goals of ending impunity and implementing effective national action plans.
Working alongside exceptional colleagues and organisations made the experience enjoyable and fun! Thanks to colleagues Prof Elena Martellozzo, Prof Julia Davidson OBE, Paula Bradbury, Dr Ruby Farr, Boglarka Meggyesfalvi, Nina Jane Patel, Will Gardner OBE, and partners Kabuni and Childnet International. The project was funded by the REPHRAIN Centre, UKRI.
Part of the CATS Team participated at Eurocrim2024 Conference in Bucharest.
Four of our members participated in the Eurocrim2024 Conference in Bucharest, where we shared our latest research addressing key issues in cybercrime, juvenile justice, and online safety. Our contributions focused on advancing understanding in these areas, particularly with regard to innovative interventions and safeguarding practices. Below are some highlights from the presentations:
The Online Safety Bill & Content Moderators: Our “Invisible Risks” research explored the mental health implications for content moderators tasked with handling harmful online content, including child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The session also examined the broader effects of the UK’s Online Safety Bill, highlighting the need for structured support and coping mechanisms for these essential workers.
London Accommodation Pathfinder Project: This presentation focused on a pro-social programme designed to provide alternative pathways to custody for black and ethnic minority boys in London. The project aimed to demonstrate that early intervention through targeted, multi-disciplinary support can significantly reduce re-offending rates and improve mental health outcomes, offering a promising model for replication in other regions.
Victimisation in the Metaverse: Our “VIRRAC – Virtual Reality Risks Against Children” research project addressed the growing risks within virtual reality (VR) environments, particularly concerning children’s exposure to online harms such as sexual exploitation. The presentation underscored the urgent need for enhanced safety protocols and moderation in these immersive digital spaces to protect vulnerable users from potential abuse. We also presented the practical tools developed within the project, includingeducational short videos for young children
‘I Had No Choice’: Adult Neutralisation of Online Sexual Engagement with Children: This session explored the psychological processes that allow individuals to rationalise harmful online behaviours. Using neutralisation theory, the research provided critical insights into how adults justify online sexual interactions with minors, offering valuable implications for policy development and law enforcement.
We are grateful for the opportunity provided by the European Society of Criminology to present our research at Eurocrim2024 and engage with colleagues across the field.
The ‘Safeguarding Children in the Digital World’ conference took place in the historic main building of ELTE, focusing on online child protection, with the aim of facilitating international knowledge exchange on child safety, as well as the prevention and policing of online child sexual abuse.
Besides our colleagues, Prof Elena Martellozzo, Dr Jeffrey DeMarco, Dr Ruth Spence, Paula Bradbury, and Boglarka Meggyesfalvi, other renowned experts such as Dr István Ambrus, Dr Eszter Sarik, Dr Dorina Csalár LLM, and Dr Árpád Varga also shared insights from their valuable work.
The conference covered topics such as the impact of online pornography on young people and discussed new, emerging types of sexual offences in the online world. It showcased our work from the Invisible Risks research, generously funded by Tech Coalition & Safe Online, on the topic of secondary traumatisation of frontline workers exposed to online child sexual abuse material, and shared findings from the VIRRAC research, funded by REPHRAIN National Research Centre on Privacy, Harm Reduction and Adversarial Influence Online.
One of the highlights was the youth panel where young people’s voices could be heard directly about topics relevant to them concerning digital safeguarding.
We are grateful to the organisers, partners, and supporting organisations for providing the opportunity to share our work and make an impact internationally! We hope to return in the near future and collaborate more.

Find the book here. (Enter code FLR40 at
checkout for 20% discount).
Life happens. In Kipling’s words, the twin impostors of ‘triumph and disaster’, the best and worst the world can throw at us. Not all ‘life events’ are life-changing. At face value, many appear benign (leaving school, getting a job, moving in with a partner); whilst others seem inherently damaging (the death of someone close, a life-threatening illness, relationship break-up). Yet the extent to which a life event is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is not necessarily intuitive, and it may surprise you to know that psychologists often continue to act as if it is.
Past activities

A remembrance for victims of the WWII organised by the ‘Syberacy’ organization – the descendants of children exported from Poland to Siberia in 1940 who found refuge in S Africa. Prof Bifulco’s keynote lecture ‘Trauma in the context of war: Reflections on Polish experience in WWII and its impacts across generations’ generated considerable interest and discussion.

Toni Bifulco was invited to speak at this conference in paediatric psychology on: The consequences of child neglect in paediatric conditions. The conference had great international contributions to an important issue. With thanks to the organisers Prof Perricone, Prof Pelizzi and Dr Valentina Fortana.

Read more.

