Dr. Yvonne Vissing, PhD

Dr. Vissing is a pediatric and community sociologist, Professor of Healthcare Studies and founding director of the Center for Childhood & Youth Studies at Salem State University. She is the US Children's Human Rights Policy Chair for the Hope for Children's United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Policy Center and works on human rights issues at the national and international levels. She is on the Human Rights Council for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Steering Committee for Human Rights Educators USA, trained at Equitas's International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP), and fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health, Whiting Foundation, and UCONN's Dodd Center. Vissing is a higher education consultant at the American Sociological Association. She is also a national leader in the area of homelessness prevention and former board member of the National Coalition for the Homeless and the New Hampshire Juvenile Parole Board. Author of 9 books, including Changing the Paradigm of Homelessness, The Rights of Unaccompanied Minors: Perspectives and case studies of children and youth seeking asylum at the border, Childless Women-Nurturing Lives, as well as books on electronic media, sociology, gluten-freedom, and the social transformation of Santa Claus. She authors chapters, articles, and social media publications on social issues.

Sub-Specialities:

Children's Human Rights - US Children's Human Rights Policy Chair for the Hope for Children's United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Policy Center and works on human rights issues at the national and international levels. She is on the Human Rights Council for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Steering Committee for Human Rights Educators USA, trained at Equitas's International Human Rights Training Program (IHRTP), and fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health, Whiting Foundation, and UCONN's Dodd Center where she is examining human rights education as a buffer to extremist attitudes and actions. Professor teaching multiple human rights courses. Works with team of international child rights scholars.

Homelessness - author of 2 books, Changing the Paradigm of Homelessness (Routledge 2020) and Out of Sight, Out of Mind: Homeless children and families in small town America (University of Kentucky Press). Former board member of the National Coalition for the Homeless and the New Hampshire Coalition for the Homeless. International speaker on COVID-19 and housing distressed children.

Mental Health - 2 year National Institute of Mental Health Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness) Family to Family Trainer, former mental health counselor

Child Safety - author of How To Keep Your Children Safe. https://www.amazon.com/How-Keep-Your-Children-Safe/dp/1584655291. Founder of Salem State University Center for Childhood & Youth Studies, articles and talks on child wellbeing and safety. New book chapter in Springer on human rights education as buffer to extremism.

Santa Claus - author of 4 books on Santa Claus in contemporary society. Forthcoming Nov. 2020. Santa Claus needs a face lift in order to be relevant in contemporary society. He needs to become multicultural and inclusive and my books include a children's book, mid-grade book, parent book, and a sociologically scholarly focused analysis of Santa Claus yesterday, today and tomorrow.