Elizabeth Letourneau

Dr. Elizabeth J. Letourneau is a leading researcher, educator, and advocate in the field of child sexual abuse prevention. She serves as Professor in the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and directs the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, which she founded in 2012. For more than three decades, her work has focused on developing, evaluating, and implementing evidence-based policies and programs designed to prevent child sexual abuse before it occurs.

Widely recognized as a pioneer in applying public health approaches to child sexual abuse prevention, Letourneau has helped shift the field's focus from primarily reactive criminal justice responses to prevention, early intervention, and risk reduction. Under her leadership, the Moore Center has become an internationally recognized hub for research, policy development, and education, working with organizations including the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and partners around the globe.

Letourneau's research has influenced public policy and prevention strategies nationally and internationally. Her work examines child sexual abuse prevention, youth with problematic sexual behaviors, offender treatment, and evidence-based interventions that reduce harm while improving outcomes for children, families, and communities. She has been a leading voice in advancing the message that child sexual abuse is preventable—not inevitable—and that effective prevention requires sustained investment in research, education, and public awareness.