Jo Robertson has worked extensively in sex education and is now the Research and Training Lead at The Light Project ~

Today, we’re unpacking a topic that I’ve wanted to cover on this podcast since it first launched.

This is a topic that has been mentioned and touched on in prior episodes, but not examined super closely. What we are discussing is something that is hugely and sometimes unavoidably present in our online spaces. To some, it’s a curiosity. To some it’s a guilty pleasure. To others, it’s an obsession. And in our digital age, this thing is impacting us as adults - and it’s also having a profound impact on our young people.

We’re talking about pornography.

Because it’s such a concern for a lot of parents, teachers and caregivers, I’ve wanted to cover the important subject of young people and pornography in a really meaningful way - which is why I was stoked when Netsafe alerted me to a charitable trust called The Light Project. The Light Project was founded in 2017, and - to quote their website - 'aims to help youth, their whānau, schools and wider communities to positively navigate the new porn landscape in Aotearoa'.

In this episode, we speak to Jo Robertson, Research and Training lead at The Light Project. Jo has worked as an external sex education provider for 7 years and as a school counsellor for trauma and abuse cases with children and young people. She is now a qualified sex therapist having just completed her Master of Science in medicine, with a focus on the consumption rates and impacts of porn on adolescents. She has a private practice specialising in problematic sexual behaviours and relationship breakdown.

Jo and I speak about young people and porn - what does the research say? How is pornography impacting and shaping attitudes and behaviour in regards to sex and sexuality? How can caregivers support the young people in their lives? She has a tonne of wisdom to give, and breaks all this stuff down in a really digestible and approachable way, which feels welcoming rather than judgemental or terrifying - so I hope you find value in and enjoy the show.

Note: there are mature and frank sexual references made in this episode. 

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Check out the catalogues of amazing resources on offer at The Light Project's website.