This feature is part of our faculty Q&A series. Learn more about our faculty.
Name: Scott Easton
Title: Associate Professor
Chair, Health and Mental Health Fields of Practice
Areas of expertise: Aging, Clinical Practice, Global Practice, Immigrants and Refugees, Mental Health, Stress and Health at the Workplace, Trauma
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Q: Can you tell us a little about your own social work journey? What brought you to BC?
In HBSE, we learn that the life course is often not linear, but circuitous. That describes my journey to social work. As an undergraduate government concentrator at Harvard, social work wasn’t on my radar (it wasn’t even a major!). But after graduating, I had a pivotal experience via a one-year Rockefeller Fellowship in Palestine and Israel. I lived in Jerusalem to better understand the conflict, worked as a research assistant on innovative Arab-Israeli peace projects, and volunteered at a rehabilitation center in Bethlehem for Palestinian youth with spinal cord injuries. I saw firsthand, for the first time, the intersection of multiple sources of social injustice, which planted the seeds of core social work values. Later in my 20s, I faced personal challenges (depression) and was grateful for therapists who accompanied me on my journey to health. After working for several years in university administration, I made a mid-career change to pursue an MSW to help others in the area of mental health through research and practice. Social work integrates many of my experiences, talents, and interests (both macro and micro); I am grateful to have “found” this discipline and proud to work in this space.
Q: What is the subject of your research?
Since my doctoral dissertation nearly two decades ago, my primary program of research has helped build the knowledge base on the biopsychosocial health of adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. I investigate malleable risk and protection factors that explain why some survivors do well and others struggle across the life course. Some subtopics include: disclosure, mental health, clergy abuse, meaning-making, post-traumatic growth, and male survivors. I am hopeful that findings help survivors lead fuller, more productive lives, moving from suffering to flourishing.
A second program of research focuses on global social work in conflict zones, especially the Middle East. More specifically, I have a special interest in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) and how to improve social welfare policy and social work practice under extremely difficult conditions. One of our projects validated an Arabic version of the Kessler Distress Scale, which has since been used in hundreds of research studies across the Middle East.
Q: What are some of the notable highlights of your career that you are most proud of?
This is a tough one. I love being on the faculty at Boston College, an institution that truly values outstanding teaching alongside impactful research in a Jesuit context. Leading an energetic class discussion or polishing a manuscript are highlights that I experience on a weekly basis.
But big picture, there are a few other highlights that stick out. One was presenting my program of research on male survivors of child sexual abuse at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Another was delivering a keynote address at a federally-funded Sexual Assault Conference at Arizona State University to an audience of 300 SVU detectives! Then, in 2022, President Biden signed a bill eliminating the statute of limitations for sex abuse survivors in civil cases; national advocacy organizations provided congressional testimony, which included several of my articles on barriers to disclosure. Finally, a colleague and I presented our research on social work policy and practice in the West Bank to the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Palestinian Authority. All four highlights involved research to action.
Q: What do you like to do outside of work?
In addition to our love of learning, my spouse (Ikram) and I lean into the 3 “F’s”. First is faith. We try to center our lives around our Eastern Orthodox Christian faith. It is our anchor. Second is our family. Although we live in Boston, we spend most vacations travelling to visit our big, ethnic, Syrian/Lebanese-American families in the Midwest. Usually, we return with coolers(literally!) full of home-cooked Arabic foods. Third is fitness. My wife has a storied athletic career playing on the Syrian National Volleyball team. For me, my highest level of play was intramural basketball. But my love of the game has continued to today, as I run in leagues against much younger players. Basketball brings me great joy, flow, and balance. Don’t ask me to pontificate, because I will launch into how it’s a form of symphony. Just ask me how my favorite team (Celtics, of course) and player (Steph Curry) are doing, and we’ll connect!