October 23, 2026 12:00pm PT - 1:00pm PT
Hot Topic: Is Sharenting an Emerging Form of Psychological Maltreatment?
Sharenting (parenting posting of images and information about their children on social media) is a common parenting practice that is often motivated by pride and love. Nonetheless, sharenting poses many risks to the child. In this workshop, we will review the 11 types of harm to children that can occur in response to sharenting, including misuse of digital images to create child sexual abuse materials, identity theft, bullying, lack of authenticity, and creation of a negative digital footprint. The workshop will review a set of studies conducted using TikTok videos in which parents engage in psychological maltreatment of their children, and we will review research on young adults who have been sharented to bring to life these potential harms. We will briefly review child labor and child abuse laws, as they may or may not protect children. The workshop will also focus on ways in which family-serving professionals can approach parents they work with around this subject in a way that respects their rights and autonomy but also builds on their desire to protect their child from harm.
September 25, 2026 12:00pm PT - 1:00pm PT
Hot Topic: Advocating for Mandated Reporting and Care of Abused Children in France
Since February 1997, French physicians who detect and report suspicions of sexual or physical violence against their children-patients are not protected from complaints or lawsuits from those suspected of abusing children. Dr. Bonnet and her colleague, a pediatrician, have been lobbying the parliament since 1999 to adopt a mandatory reporting (MR) law similar to the USA. Finally, in July 2018, Senators in France adopted MR. Unfortunately, the law was suppressed 15 days later. Today, there is renewed hope the French National Assembly will adopt MR when they convene in October 2026.
June 9, 2026 12:00pm PT - 1:00pm PT
Hot Topic: Keeping Families Together: The Vital Role of Mental Health Professionals in Immigration Cases
Summary: In today’s strict immigration enforcement climate, there is a tremendous need for psychologists, psychiatrists, and therapists to prepare reports and sometimes to give testimony regarding their patients. These reports may be prepared for Immigration Court or USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services) and may address issues such as trauma suffered by the client or a family member or the psychological hardship the deportation of a family member will likely have on that person, their spouse, parents, or children. These reports, often supported by the expert’s testimony, often mean the difference between a client being deported and remaining with his family, or a waiver being granted and a family being unified, as opposed to being forced to face an uncertain future of indefinite family separation. This program will help you understand the crucial role you can play in your clients’ lives and how your reports can educate the adjudicator as to how their decision will impact the lives of your clients and of their families.
May 13, 2026 12:00pm PT - 1:00pm PT
Hot Topic: What are the barriers to ethical responses to institutional abuse and how can we overcome them?
Summary: This Gathering will describe the psychological, legal, and theological blocks to ethical responses to institutional abuse, and identify structural and situational factors contributing to risk of abuse. We will discuss questions such as, "How do great leaders get it so wrong? What gets in the way of an ethical institutional response in the face of abuse? How might I use my position of leadership to pave a different way forward?"
April 17, 2026, 12:00pm PT - 1:00pm PT
Hot Topic: Epstein and the Struggle to Confront Child Sexual Abuse.
Summary: Some rich and powerful individuals, mostly men, and institutions seek to cover up child sexual abuse and trafficking. Dr. David Corwin's presentation discusses historical and current examples that demonstrate how exposing and investigating CSA threatens wealth and power. Dr. Corwin briefly reviews the cycle of discovery and re-suppression of child sexual abuse awareness and intervention, which builds on his frequently cited 1993 article with his colleagues, Drs. Erna Olafson (lead author) and Roland Summit (co-author), whom he has invited to attend and participate in the discussion.
March 20, 2026 12:00pm PT - 1:00pm PT
Hot Topic: Should CSAM be shown to the victims and their parents?
Summary: Investigations of child sexual abuse, particularly online abuse, often find sexually explicit images of the victim taken by the offender. This presentation discusses new guidelines from APSAC opposing the misguided practice of showing these images to parents. The presentation also reviews the controversial practice of showing the images to the child in a forensic interview, examining both the arguments for doing so and the opposing concerns about the effects of this practice on the child victim.
February 13, 2026 12:00pm PT - 1:00pm PT
Hot Topic: Accelerated Biological Aging: How ACEs Harm Children and the Adults They Become
Summary: The presentation briefly reviews the origin, hypotheses, and methodological design of the Female Growth and Development Study (FGDS) followed by a summary of major research themes. The overall impact of childhood sexual abuse across multiple negative adult outcomes is the epigenetic acceleration of biological aging.
January 16, 2026 12:00pm PT - 1:00pm PT
Hot Topic: What would a Trauma Informed Community of Belonging look like?
Summary: This session offers six principles for creating a community of belonging with the trauma informed care lens, such as ‘connection before correction,’ ‘challenges, concerns, celebrations.’ Participants will learn faith-based and scientific importance of building safe relationships as the foundation of trauma healing and restoration.
