Suspicious Minds

Growing up in Ferguson, Missouri, Harvard Griffin GSAS PhD student Steven Kasparek witnessed violence. He experienced it himself. He was left with some burning questions about which children go on to thrive and which struggle in the wake of exposure to violence. In this episode of Colloquy, Kasparek presents his research on the ways that childhood violence can shape bias—and bias can shape mental health throughout our lives. He also suggests new strategies to help protect violence-exposed youth from developing mental health problems that may ultimately undermine their success and well-being. (Note: This talk was originally given during the Harvard Horizons Symposium in 2023.)