Faith and Flourishing in the Face of Childhood Sexual Abuse 

The Human Flourishing Program at Harvard’s Institute for Quantitative Social Science, The Harvard Divinity School, and The Catholic Project at The Catholic University of America present the inaugural, ionternational, interdisciplinary Symposium, “Faith and Flourishing in the Face of Childhood Sexual Abuse: Strategies for Prevention and Healing” with a Keynote Address by the Rev. Dr. Denis Mukwege, 2018 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. 

The Catholic Project is a proud co-sponsor of an upcoming online conference hosted by the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard.

It takes place from 8am-12pm on April 8th-10th, 2021. Registration will open in January 2021.

This conference seeks to help understand the role of faith and spirituality in healing from childhood sexual abuse. It will bring together health care providers, public health experts, and religious leaders of diverse faith traditions. Studies indicate that support from communities of faith can aid in healing, but also that a poor response from a faith institution is damaging.

The symposium will address the effects of child sexual abuse, strategies for prevention, and advocacy for survivors.

The Program

The program will include presentations developed in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control, Faith and Community Engagement Unit, as well as leading social scientists, theologians, psychologists and health care professionals. There will be roundtable discussions and the conference will publish summaries of the proceedings.

Target Audience

The symposium is meant for clergy, religious, and lay leaders, as well as child welfare professionals. Victim assistance coordinators would benefit greatly. Policy makers, social workers, and heal care professionals, as well as researchers in these fields are also meant to benefit.

Participants who complete the program, contribute to discussions, and complete an evaluation will receive a certificate of attendance.