Special Issues

Social Sciences publishes Special Issues to create collections of papers on specific topics, with the aim of building a community of authors and readers to discuss the latest research and develop new ideas and research directions. Special Issues are led by Guest Editors, who are experts on the topic and all Special Issue submissions follow MDPI's standard editorial process. The journal’s Editor-in-Chief and/or designated Editorial Board Member will oversee Guest Editor appointments and Special Issue proposals, checking their content for relevance and ensuring the suitability of the material for the journal. The papers published in a Special Issue will be collected and displayed on a dedicated page of the journal’s website. Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies and Guest Editor responsibilities can be found here. For any inquiries related to a Special Issue, please contact the Editorial Office.

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Social Work on Community Practice and Child Protection
edited by Susan Young, Shayne Walker and Celine Harrison
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 117 | Submission Open
Keywords: developmental community work; best interests of the child; policy practice; risk prevention; risk management; primary; secondary and tertiary prevention; cultural responsiveness
Tech-Based Domestic and Family Violence
edited by
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 111 | Submission Open
Keywords: technologically mediated violence; intimate partner violence; sexual assault; digital dating abuse; coercion; sexting; revenge porn; digital surveillance; online victimization
(This special issue belongs to the Section Family Studies)
Belt and Road Together Special Education 2025
edited by Chi Hung Leung
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 108 | Submission Open
Keywords: special education; Central Asia; Southeast Asia; artificial intelligence; educational technology; mental health; innovation; collaboration; inclusive education; Belt and Road Initiative
In Solidarity with Trans and Gender-Expansive Youth: Resisting Erasure, Demanding Affirmation
edited by Deanna N. Cor
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 85 | Submission Open
Keywords: trans youth; gender-expansive youth; gender-affirming care; social justice; counseling and psychotherapy; advocacy; systemic violence; bias; suicide; distress
(This special issue belongs to the Section Childhood and Youth Studies)
Group Processes Using Quantitative Research Methods
edited by Alison J. Bianchi
submission deadline 31 Oct 2025 | Viewed by 65 | Submission Open
Keywords: group processes; quantitative research methods; theories of group interactions
Towards Equity: Services for Disabled Children and Youth
edited by and Kathryn Underwood
submission deadline 3 Nov 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 6096 | Submission Open
Keywords: disabled children and youth; transnational services; service experiences; community interventions; intersectional interpretations
(This special issue belongs to the Section Childhood and Youth Studies)
Intimate Relationships in Diverse Social and Cultural Contexts
edited by Pan Wang and
submission deadline 15 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 351 | Submission Open
Keywords: intimacy; love; courtship; sex; marriage; emotion; romance; affection; partnership; relationship
(This special issue belongs to the Section Family Studies)
Technology, Digital Transformation and Society
edited by
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | 4 articles | Viewed by 13468 | Submission Open
Keywords: digital transformation; societal impact; artificial intelligence; social equity; privacy and ethics; cultural dynamics; inclusivity in digital age; sustainability and technology; policy implications; future directions
Conducive Contexts and Vulnerabilities to Domestic Abuse
edited by Emmaleena Käkelä
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1653 | Submission Open
Keywords: domestic abuse; gender-based violence; intersectionality; conducive context; COVID-19 pandemic
(This special issue belongs to the Section Family Studies)
Cybercrime and Digital Victimization
edited by , Simon Mackenzie and Daniel Silverstone
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 988 | Submission Open
Keywords: identity theft; romance fraud; pig-butchering scams; online sexual threats; ransomware; cyberbullying; online harassment; phishing attacks; incident response; cybercrime legislation
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
The Role of Early Childhood Experiences in Shaping Criminal Offending: Implications for Intervention and Prevention
edited by and Lixia Zhang
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 982 | Submission Open
Keywords: adverse childhood experiences; criminal behavior; offending  ; violent environment; dysfunctional environment; domestic violence
(This special issue belongs to the Section Childhood and Youth Studies)
Assessment and Intervention with Victims and Offenders
edited by , Ana Cristina Neves, Andreia Matias, Cristina Soeiro, and Susana Monteiro
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 926 | Submission Open
Keywords: risk assessment and management; victims and offenders; forensic and psychological assessment intervention; justice professional skills and training
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
Youth Violence and the Urban Response
edited by Lorece Edwards
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 815 | Submission Open
Keywords: youth violence; urban response; public health; mental health; social determinants; structural inequality; evidence-based solutions
(This special issue belongs to the Section Childhood and Youth Studies)
Nurturing Bridges: Embracing Growth and Connecting Life for Children
edited by Chi Hung Leung
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 705 | Submission Open
Keywords: child development; emotional well-being; educational practices; holistic growth; nurturing environments; social connections; innovative approaches; evidence-based practices; community engagement; supporting relationships
(This special issue belongs to the Section Childhood and Youth Studies)
The Experiences of Undocumented Immigrants Overcoming Social Exclusion
edited by Fanny Lauby
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 642 | Submission Open
Keywords: undocumented immigrants; exclusion; immigrant incorporation; public policy; education; workforce participation; political incorporation; challenges to exclusion
(This special issue belongs to the Section International Migration)
Disinformation in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
edited by Xosé López García, Hermenegildo José Casas García, and
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 630 | Submission Open
Keywords: disinformation; artificial intelligence; information disorders; disruptive technologies; communication and journalism; digital media
Social Policies in the Digital World
edited by
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 523 | Submission Open
Keywords: digitalization; social policy; welfare state; automation; datafication; artificial intelligence; big data; digital governance; social equity; privacy
(This special issue belongs to the Section Social Policy and Welfare)
Belonging and Engagement of Students in Higher Education
edited by
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 464 | Submission Open
Keywords: student belonging; student engagement; academic success; retention rates institutional culture; peer relationships; faculty support
Police Community Engagement and Evidence-Based Crime Reduction Strategies
edited by Rachel Boba Santos, Scott M. Mourtgos and
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 403 | Submission Open
Keywords: community engagement; evidence-based policing; proactive crime reduction; crime prevention; police legitimacy; police organization; police culture; crime analysis
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
The Impact of Housing Displacement on Quality of Life
edited by
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 281 | Submission Open
Keywords: housing; displacement; gentrification; foreclosure; eviction; geographic trauma; public housing; urban renewal
Big Data and Political Communication
edited by Ana María Velasco Molpeceres, and
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 210 | Submission Open
Keywords: big data; political communication; populism; social media influence; micro-targeting; political polarization; misinformation; data privacy; electoral integrity; digital regulation
Planning Inclusive Communities: Applying Transformative Research Methods
edited by Lisa Stafford
submission deadline 30 Nov 2025 | Viewed by 207 | Submission Open
Keywords: inclusive communities and cities; transformative research; social justices; spatial justice; disability; planning; creative methods; place; inclusive methods; practice-based
(This special issue belongs to the Section Community and Urban Sociology)
The Role of Support in Mitigating the Impact of Family Imprisonment on Children and Families submission deadline 15 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 235 | Submission Open
Keywords: children of criminalized individuals; development; familial imprisonment; families; intersectionality; marginalization; need-based support; stigma; silence; voice; wellbeing
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
Contemporary Challenges to Democracy, Citizenship and Political Participation
edited by Paul W. Posner
submission deadline 30 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 520 | Submission Open
Keywords: inequality; political polarization; extremism; identity politics; ethno-nationalism; voter turnout; erosion of trust; decline of political participation; populism; marginalization of minority groups
(This special issue belongs to the Section Contemporary Politics and Society)
Civil Society, Migration and Citizenship
edited by Taku Suzuki
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 3 articles | Viewed by 7941 | Submission Open
Keywords: migrants; asylum seekers; refugees; civil society; states; international organizations; non-governmental organizations; citizenship; legality
(This special issue belongs to the Section International Migration)
Mental Health and Wellbeing in Elderly People: The Forgotten Loneliness
edited by Philip Tyson, Daniel Bowers, Klara Price and Alexis Jones
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1692 | Submission Open
Keywords: elderly; aged populations; loneliness; mental health; well-being
Social Conflict, Migration and Forced Labour: Contemporary and Emerging Issues
edited by Craig Paterson
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1435 | Submission Open
Keywords: conflict; displacement; forced labour; migration; climate change; trafficking; human rights
(This special issue belongs to the Section Work, Employment and the Labor Market)
From Precarious Work to Decent Work
edited by , Hangyoung Lee and Harry Blatterer
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1423 | Submission Open
Keywords: precarious work; decent work; employment; sociology of work; social inequality
(This special issue belongs to the Section Work, Employment and the Labor Market)
Job Stress and Burnout: Emerging Issues in Today’s Workplace
edited by and Beatriz Martin del Rio
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1347 | Submission Open
Keywords: job stress; burnout; occupational health; well-being at work; mental health at work; organizational intervention; organizational culture
(This special issue belongs to the Section Work, Employment and the Labor Market)
The Mental Health and Well-Being of Children and Adolescents in the Digital Age
edited by , Philip Mullins, Susan Bray, Claire Gregory and Xun Liu
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | 1 articles | Viewed by 933 | Submission Open
Keywords: well-being; mental health; suicide prevention; family dynamics; substance use; cyberbullying; social media; online safety; school-based interventions
Social Work and Social Policy: Advances in Theory and Practice
edited by Cathy McElderry and Charnetta Gadling-Cole
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 778 | Submission Open
Keywords: social policy; policy development; policy reform; social work practice; equity; service delivery
(This special issue belongs to the Section Social Policy and Welfare)
The Roles of the Media in the Dissemination of Health Information
edited by Xueying Zhang, Ziyuan Zhou and Laura Marshall
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 521 | Submission Open
Keywords: health literary; health crisis; misinformation; health equity; ethics in health media; new media technology in health communication; media and public’ s advocacy of health; health behavior change
Contemporary Work in Understanding and Reducing Domestic Violence
edited by Dean Fido
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 367 | Submission Open
Keywords: domestic abuse; image-based sexual abuse; non-consensual sharing of intimate images; inter-partner violence; sexual coercion; sexual abuse
(This special issue belongs to the Section Family Studies)
Eco-Social Policies and Work in the Poly-Crisis: Sustainable Welfare in a Conflicting Ecological Transition submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 344 | Submission Open
Keywords: Eco-social policies; eco-social work; sustainability; ecological change; social inequalities
(This special issue belongs to the Section Social Policy and Welfare)
Policying and Policing: The Governance of Refugee/(Im)migrant Education in an Age of Hostility—2nd Edition
edited by Jill Koyama, Adnan Turan and
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 155 | Submission Open
Keywords: refugee education; education policy; education equity
Advancing Inclusive Education: Policies, Practices and Cultural Shifts
edited by , and James C. Coviello
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 85 | Submission Open
Keywords: inclusive education; inclusion; disability inclusion; inclusive practices; ableism; curriculum; educational policy; educational leadership; disability studies; equity
Research on Prisons and Ageing
edited by Julie N. Brancale
submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 64 | Submission Open
Keywords: prisons; ageing; older inmates; prison healthcare; prison management; prison victimization; re-entry; correctional officers
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
Multicultural and Multilingual Education: Inclusion Issues and the Online and Distance Learning Challenge submission deadline 31 Dec 2025 | Viewed by 20 | Submission Open
Keywords: multilingual education; multicultural education; diversity in education; migrants; minority learners; migrant learners with special education needs; holistic development; well-being; family– school partnerships; plurilingual pedagogies; inclusive pedagogy; artificial intelligence (AI) in education; online and distance learning (ODL); context-sensitive innovations; educational policy and reform; teacher training
(This special issue belongs to the Section International Migration)
Carceral Death: Failures, Crises, and Punishments
edited by Justin Donald Strong
submission deadline 16 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 704 | Submission Open
Keywords: prison mortality; incarceration and health; social suffering; critical prison studies
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
History Education and Digital Technologies in Populist Times
edited by
submission deadline 20 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 214 | Submission Open
Keywords: history education; digital technologies; digital education; populisms; critical thinking; historical evidence
The Role of Poverty and Inequality: A Focus on Housing Insecurity, Homelessness and Social Policies
edited by Shane Warren
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 142 | Submission Open
Keywords: inequality; poverty; housing insecurity; homelessness; social policy
(This special issue belongs to the Section Social Stratification and Inequality)
The Impact of Social Media on Social Mobilization submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 119 | Submission Open
Keywords: social media and activism; online and offline mobilization; algorithmic influence on social movements; misinformation and protest; slacktivism vs. real-world action; surveillance and digital repression; hashtag movements; the digital divide in activism
Substance Use and Child Welfare: Intersecting Crises
edited by and Kasey Claborn
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 89 | Submission Open
Keywords: substance use disorder; child welfare; prevention; treatment and recovery; family-centered intervention; child and family outcomes
(This special issue belongs to the Section Childhood and Youth Studies)
Reimagining Higher Education Through Design Justice and Inclusive Practices
edited by Erin Boyce, Katrina Little, Matthew Drake and
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 58 | Submission Open
Keywords: equity; justice; inclusivity; curriculum development; decolonizing practices; mentoring; tutoring; community-based practices; belonging; degree attainment
Power, Partnership, and Parenthood: A Gender Lens on Male Involvement in Maternal and Child Health
edited by
submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 19 | Submission Open
Keywords: gender and health; male involvement; maternal and child health; masculinities; gender equity
Sexual Violence in the Media: Exploring the Role of Journalism in Reflecting, Mediating and (de)Constructing Perceptions and Imageries of Sexual Violence
edited by Sofia José Santos and
submission deadline 1 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 1607 | Submission Open
Keywords: sexual violence; media; rape; intersectionality; journalism; representations; audiences
Research on LGBTQIA2S+ Aging and Well-Being
edited by Lara Descartes
submission deadline 1 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 19 | Submission Open
Keywords: LGBTQ; LGBTQIA2S+; aging; adult development; critical theory; feminist; gender; health; healthy aging; intersectionality; life course; queer; well-being
Contemporary Community Social Services: Issues and Challenges submission deadline 27 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 46 | Submission Open
Keywords: community social services; social innovation; digital transformation; quality; strategic development; occupational hazards; professional wellbeing; intersectionality; governance
Break the Chains: Global Efforts in Eradication and Prevention of Human Trafficking
edited by Cathryn Lavery
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1780 | Submission Open
Keywords: human trafficking; sexploitation; slavery; labor trafficking; drug trafficking; mules; terrorism; asylum; task forces; global health; illegal servitude; wildlife trafficking
(This special issue belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
Health-AI—the Daily Practice of Human-AI Collaborations in Healthcare
edited by Roanne van Voorst and Zongtian Guo
submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 458 | Submission Open
Keywords: AI; healthcare; human– nonhuman decision making; medical knowledge production; ethical AI; algorithms
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