It is with great pleasure that we invite you to attend the IX th Regional European Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, which will take place August 29-31, 2003, in Warsaw, Poland. The conference will be organized under the auspices of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) and honorary patronage of the Polish First Lady – Jolanta Kwaśniewska.

This is only the second time in the 25-year history of ISPCAN that the European edition of the Conference will be held in Eastern Europe. The Warsaw conference will provide a unique opportunity for professionals from this region, to exchange experiences and new methodological tools.

The theme of the 2003 European Conference is “Promoting Interdisciplinary Approaches to Child Protection”. We believe that promoting interdisciplinary assistance systems is essential in this region, where the phenomena of child abuse went largely unnoticed for many years. During the conference, we intend to cover a wide range of issues dealing with child abuse and neglect, both general topics such as interdisciplinary procedures and practices, legal aspects of child protection and prevention policies, and specific topics focusing directly on children, including child sexual exploitation, street and abandoned children and child interviewing.

The conference will be open to professionals from a variety of disciplines including psychologists, social workers, physicians, educators, legislators and law enforcement officers. Speakers will include prominent specialists in the field of child abuse from all over the world. 

Warsaw is one of the most modern and dynamic cities in the region and will enchant you with impressive remnants of the past seven centuries. The conference venue will be Warsaw Sheraton Hotel - one of Warsaw's most modern conference centers - which is located with easy access to the old city and other cultural attractions. 

We look forward to seeing you in Warsaw at the 2003 Conference of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect.

Sincerely yours,

Maria Keller-Hamela - President of the Conference