Elizabeth J. Letourneau

Elizabeth J. Letourneau is a Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she serves as Director of the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse. Her work is dedicated to advancing the understanding and prevention of child sexual abuse through research, policy, and public education.

• Department: Mental Health
• Institution: Johns Hopkins University
• School: Bloomberg School of Public Health

Her research focuses on the prevention of child sexual abuse, problem sexual behavior in youth, juvenile sex offender policy, and public health interventions. She has pioneered empirical studies demonstrating that child sexual abuse is preventable, not inevitable, and has led efforts to reform harmful registration policies for juvenile offenders. Her work integrates psychology, criminology, and public health to develop scalable prevention strategies.

The trends in her recent publications show a strong emphasis on global prevalence mapping, school-based prevention, digital self-help tools for at-risk individuals, policy evaluation (e.g., Medicaid expansion), and ethical issues in research confidentiality. Her articles appear in top journals such as The Lancet, JAMA Pediatrics, and Child Abuse and Neglect, reflecting interdisciplinary impact.

Scientific Awards:

• Lifetime Significant Achievement Award, Association for the Treatment and Prevention of Sexual Abuse (2022)
• BSPH Faculty Practice Award (2017)
• APSAC Outstanding Research Article (2008)
• Pro Humanitate Literary Award (2007)
• APSAC Outstanding Article in Child Maltreatment (2007)
• Significant Achievement Award for Graduate Student Research, ATSA (1992)

Dr. Letourneau leads a major research center and mentors students and early-career researchers. She has secured significant funding, including from the Bloomberg American Health Initiative, to support prevention science. Her advocacy has influenced federal and state policy, and she serves on national and international prevention networks, including the European Commission Prevention Network. She is also involved in knowledge translation through media engagement (e.g., TEDMED, This American Life) and public-facing resources.

She leads the Moore Center, a hub for perpetration prevention research, policy analysis, and educational programming. The center supports initiatives like Help Wanted (online self-help for individuals with concerning thoughts) and Responsible Behavior with Youth & Children (school-based prevention). Her team collaborates globally to strengthen prevention infrastructure and shift societal norms toward proactive protection of children.