About the group – aims and focus:
Given the increasing prevalence and complexity of violence in modern society and daily life—such as domestic violence, school violence, and youth violence—the research group aims to focus on studying its causes, manifestations, consequences, and potential interventions and prevention strategies. Several academics are already working on this topic at the School of Education and the University of Iceland. This research group strives to bring them together and further promote research on the subject from an intersectional perspective and within an interdisciplinary and international context.
Violence, in its many forms—domestic, epistemic, structural, political, economic, and digital—poses a major challenge to societies worldwide. It is not only a significant public health issue but also a fundamental threat to human rights, development, and social cohesion. Despite numerous efforts to address violence, the lack of interdisciplinary and empirical methods has hindered the development of practical solutions. The group aims to close this gap by promoting multidisciplinary collaboration, generating data-driven insights, and shaping policies at local, national, and international levels. It also seeks to improve cooperation among departments and schools and to enhance the institute’s ability to attract funding from national and international agencies, research councils, and private organizations dedicated to violence prevention and response. Additionally, this research group will serve as a hub for PhD students and postdoctoral researchers interested in violence-related projects, working in partnership with the group’s members as supervisors and experts in the field.
Violence in its many forms is now being studied at the School of Education. For example, there are currently studies on gender-based violence in relationships, violence experienced by migrant women, and violence experienced by disabled people. These studies could then be expanded, and new areas could be added to the research group, such as various forms of structural and institutional violence, political violence, digital violence and online harassment, and youth violence. Researchers working on research related to violence in its many forms are welcome to join the group.