Privacy Policy

1- Information We Collect

A. When You Visit Our Website

Like most websites, we automatically collect certain technical data when you visit our site, including:

–     Your IP address and approximate geographic location

–     Browser type, version, and device type

–     Pages visited and time spent on each page

–     The referring website that directed you to us

–     Other standard website analytics data

This data is used solely to maintain and improve our website and is not used to identify you personally.

B. When You Purchase Merchandise

When you purchase merchandise through our online store, we collect information necessary to process and fulfill your order, including:

–     Name

–     Email address

–     Shipping address

–     Payment information (processed securely by a third-party payment provider — we do not store credit card data)

C. When You Register for a Webinar

When you register for one of our webinars, we collect:

–     Name

–     Email address

–     Any information you voluntarily submit through the registration form

D. When You Participate in a Research Study

When you enroll as a participant in one of our research studies, we collect information as outlined in the study’s specific informed consent documentation, which you will receive and must agree to before participation begins. The types of information collected vary by study but may include demographic information and survey responses relevant to the study’s research questions.

Where applicable, contact information (such as name, address, phone number, and email) may be collected separately for the sole purpose of sending compensation. This information is never linked to your survey responses, which are kept strictly confidential.

E. When You Contact Us

If you reach out to us via email or a contact form, we collect your email address and the content of your message so we can respond to your inquiry.

2- How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

–     To process and fulfill merchandise orders

–     To provide access to webinars you have registered for

–     To conduct and administer research studies in accordance with approved protocols

–     To send you regular updates about the Center, including news, research findings, upcoming webinars, and other mission-related communications (see Section 5)

–     To respond to your questions or inquiries

–     To improve our website, events, and services

–     To comply with legal obligations

We Will Never Sell Your Information

The Center for Violence Prevention Research will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party, for any reason, under any circumstances. This applies to all individuals whose information we collect — website visitors, merchandise customers, webinar registrants, and research participants alike.

We share information only in the limited circumstances described in Section 7 of this policy, and only as necessary to operate our programs and fulfill our mission.

3- Communications and Email Updates

Important Notice

By purchasing merchandise from our store or registering for a webinar, you are signing up to receive regular updates from the Center for Violence Prevention Research. These updates may include research news, upcoming events, webinar announcements, and other mission-related communications.

You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link at the bottom of any email we send you. Unsubscribing from marketing communications will not affect your ability to receive transactional emails related to an active order or webinar registration.

Research Study Participants

We take the privacy of research participants seriously and hold it to the highest standard. The following protections apply to all individuals who participate in our research studies.

Contact Strictly Limited to Study Matters

–     Information collected from study participants is used exclusively for the purposes of the research study in which you enrolled.

–     We will only contact research participants regarding matters directly related to your participation in a study — such as study updates, scheduling, compensation, or follow-up requirements of the research protocol.

–     We will never contact research participants for marketing purposes, merchandise promotions, or general organizational updates unless you separately and explicitly opt in to such communications.

Survey Data and Identifying Information Are Kept Separate

Where studies require contact information (such as name, address, phone number, or email) for the purpose of sending compensation, this information is collected independently of your survey responses and is never linked to them. Your answers to study questions are confidential and cannot be traced back to you personally.

Research data is collected and stored without personally identifying information, and is de-identified prior to analysis and publication to protect participant privacy.

IRB Oversight and Federal Protections

All research studies conducted by the Center are reviewed and approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to launch. The IRB, as well as the study’s federal sponsor (where applicable), may have permission to review study records for oversight purposes. These parties are bound by strict confidentiality requirements and cannot link identifiable information to individual survey responses.

Applicable studies are covered by a Certificate of Confidentiality issued by the National Institutes of Health. This means that researchers are legally prohibited from disclosing information that could identify a participant in any civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, or other federal or state proceeding — including in response to a court subpoena — without the participant’s consent. Exceptions include mandatory reporting required by law, such as reports of child abuse or threats of harm.

Future Use of Research Data

Some studies include an optional provision allowing de-identified data to be used in future research. Participants are asked to provide separate consent for this at the time of enrollment — it is never a condition of participation. If you consent to future use, your data may be shared with other researchers only after all identifying information has been removed, and only under conditions approved by an IRB.

Participants also have the option, at enrollment, to consent to being contacted about future research studies. This is always optional and does not affect participation in the current study.

4- Data Storage and Security

–     Research data is stored, handled, and reported in accordance with applicable IRB requirements and federal research privacy regulations.

–     All project files are stored in a secure, password-protected directory accessible only to the study team.

–     No identifying information is stored in paper form or on personal devices. All data is kept on encrypted, password-protected institutional computers and the Center’s secure servers.

If you have questions about how your data is used in a specific study, please refer to the consent documents you received at enrollment or contact us directly.

5- Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party vendors to operate our website and services, including payment processors, webinar platforms, email communications providers, and website hosting services. These vendors access only the information necessary to perform their functions and are contractually required to protect your data.

Research Collaborators

We may share de-identified or aggregated research data with academic collaborators, funders, or public health organizations for the purposes of advancing violence prevention science. No personally identifiable information is shared in this context.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required to do so by law, court order, or government authority, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, safety, or property of the Center, our users, or the public. Note that research data covered by a Certificate of Confidentiality is afforded additional legal protections, as described in Section 6.

6- Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected, or as required or permitted by law. Specifically:

–     Merchandise order information is retained for as long as needed to fulfill your order, handle returns or disputes, and comply with applicable tax and accounting requirements.

–     Webinar registration information is retained for the duration of our communications relationship with you. You may request deletion at any time by unsubscribing and contacting us.

–     Website analytics data is retained in aggregate, anonymized form and does not contain personally identifying information.

–     Research study data is retained in accordance with the terms of the study’s IRB-approved protocol, the requirements of the study’s federal sponsor, and applicable law. De-identified data may be retained indefinitely for scientific and public health purposes.

–     Contact information collected for compensation purposes in research studies is retained only until compensation has been delivered, after which it is deleted or de-identified.

When personal information is no longer needed, we delete it securely or de-identify it so that it can no longer be linked to you. If you would like to request deletion of your personal information prior to our standard retention period, please contact us via the contact us form on the website.

7- Data Security

We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Payment transactions are processed through encrypted, PCI-compliant third-party processors, and we do not store credit card information on our systems. All Center staff complete mandatory cybersecurity training on a quarterly basis to ensure consistent awareness of data protection responsibilities and best practices.

While we take data security seriously, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to promptly addressing any suspected breach.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to websites, resources, or tools operated by third parties, including partner organizations, academic institutions, and public health agencies. These third-party sites have their own privacy policies and practices, which we do not control and are not responsible for.

The inclusion of a link on our site does not constitute an endorsement of the linked site or its privacy practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any third-party site you visit before providing personal information.

Do Not Track

Some browsers include a “Do Not Track” (DNT) feature that signals to websites that you do not want your online activity tracked. Our website does not currently respond to DNT signals, as no uniform standard for how websites should interpret these signals has been established.

You can limit data collection on our site by adjusting your browser’s cookie settings. Note that doing so may affect the functionality of certain parts of our website. We do not use tracking for advertising purposes.

8- Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights with respect to your personal information:

–     Unsubscribe: You may opt out of email communications at any time via the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us directly.

–     Access and Correction: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you or ask us to correct inaccurate information.

–     Deletion: You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to any legal or contractual retention requirements. We will respond to deletion requests within 30 days.

–     Research Withdrawal: If you are a research participant, you may withdraw from a study at any time without penalty. Please refer to your study’s informed consent document for details. Note that survey responses already submitted cannot be deleted because they contain no identifying information and cannot be linked back to you.

–     Future Research Opt-Out: If you previously consented to future use of your de-identified data, you have the right to withdraw that authorization by contacting us.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Privacy Contact at the address listed in Section 15. We will confirm receipt of your request and respond within 30 days. If we require additional time, we will inform you in writing.

9- Children’s Privacy

Our website, merchandise store, and general webinars are intended for individuals 18 years of age and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 18. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a minor, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it promptly.

Research studies involving minors are conducted only in accordance with applicable IRB requirements and with appropriate parental or guardian consent as required by law. Children do not directly participate as survey respondents in our studies unless a specific IRB-approved protocol permits it with appropriate safeguards.