Crimes Against Children Research Center

History

The Crimes against Children Research Center was created in 1998 at the University of New Hampshire. It grew out of and expands upon the work of the Family Research Laboratory, which has been devoted to the study of family violence and related topics since 1975. Associated with the Center is an internationally recognized group of experts who have published numerous books and articles concerning the incidence and impact of violence against children.

CCRC staff have contributed to many pioneering national crime studies, including:

• National Incidence Study of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children
• National Family Violence Survey
• National Youth Victimization Prevention Survey
• National Survey of Sexual Abuse in Day Care
• Developmental Victimization Survey
• Youth Internet Safety Survey
• Second Youth Internet Safety Survey
• Multi-Site Evaluation of Children's Advocacy Centers

Initial funding for the CCRC was provided by the US Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. The Center will also draw on funding from grants, individual gifts, revenues from publications and programs, and state and federal sources.

The CCRC is directed by David Finkelhor, who is also the Co-director of the Family Research Laboratory and Professor of Sociology at the University of New Hampshire. Dr. Finkelhor has been researching criminal violence against children since 1978 and is the author and editor of 10 books and more than 100 articles on the subject.

Mission

The mission of the Crimes against Children Research Center (CCRC) is to combat crimes against children by providing high quality research and statistics to the public, policy makers, law enforcement personnel, and other child welfare practitioners. CCRC is concerned with research about the nature of crimes including child abduction, homicide, rape, assault, and physical and sexual abuse as well as their impact.