The Centre addresses the increasing centrality of violence to contemporary social relations, researching the causes of increases and decreases in different forms of violence, developing theory and improving forms of measurement. It will conduct high-quality research to build a coherent understanding and explanation of violence in its many forms, and provide evidence to develop new policy approaches.

The Violence & Society UNESCO Centre is a coalition of researchers based in eight departments across three faculties at Lancaster University, linked to collaborators in other UK, European and international universities, policy-makers and service providers.

Distinguished Professor Sylvia Walby, from the University’s Sociology Department, who is Director of the Violence & Society UNESCO Centre and holder of the UNESCO Chair in Gender Research said: “The launch of this new research centre represents a very significant and exciting opportunity to bring together colleagues from across the University and external partners to collaborate on pushing forward this very important global research agenda on violence.”

The Centre launches on 15 March 2016 with a Public Lecture by Kristiina Kangaspunta, Chief of the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Trafficking in Persons Unit on ‘Trafficking in Human Beings: Large, Medium, Small - The Size of Human Trafficking’.   

Trafficking in human beings – one of the topics the new Centre is researching, has been described as the second largest source of illegal profits in the world, victimising millions of people and generating billions of dollars.  The challenge of producing accurate estimates of something that is hidden is immense.  This lecture challenges current orthodoxies and considers the ways forward. 

Professor Andrew Atherton, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University, will chair the event, which will take place in the Management School Lecture Theatre 6 from 4.15pm to 6pm.  All are welcome.