ISPCAN 2025: Sharing Lessons on Digital Parenting Innovation

10 Nov 2025
Carly ISPCAN Presentation
10 Nov 2025

6–8 October 2025 | Edinburgh, Scotland

The Centre for Social Science Research (CSSR) was recently represented at the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN) Congress 2025 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The event brought together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners from across the globe to share innovations and evidence-based strategies to prevent violence against children.

Carly Katzef, Cathy Ward, and Cindee Bruyns from the Supporting Wellness through Integrated Family Training (SWIFT) Study participated in the Congress. On behalf of the SWIFT team, Cindee and Carly presented on embedding digital parenting support into routine public health service delivery in South Africa. Their presentation, titled “What we planned and how a pilot changed everything”, shared key lessons from SWIFT’s pilot study conducted earlier this year.

Carly Rise Up
Carly Katzef at the Rise Up Policy Forum.

Their insights highlighted:

  • The value of actively engaged and flexible pilot projects, which adapt to real-world challenges.

  • The importance of strong stakeholder relationships and alignment to ensure sustainability.

  • The potential reach of social media in delivering parenting support in today’s digital age.

  • The power of incentives to boost engagement in under-resourced contexts.

The team also joined the Rise Up Policy Forum, which brought together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to strengthen global collaboration and learning in child protection. 

Carly shared that the experience was an important opportunity to connect with international partners, reflect on the progress of digital parenting initiatives, and represent CSSR and the Global Parenting Initiative on the global stage.