Navigating the impact of sexualised images in everyday life on our wellbeing is no easy task, but one that advocacy and education group Collective Shout will welcome openly with an upcoming webinar. 

Collective Shout is a grassroots movement working against the objectification of women and the sexualisation of young people.

TFSS will be facilitating a free online webinar with Collective Shout on Thursday 28 September from 6pm until 7pm on Microsoft Teams. 

The webinar will be led by author, speaker, media commentator Ms Melinda Tankard Reist and youth advocate and educator Mr Daniel Principe. 

Drawing from current global literature and the experiences of young people, the talk will explore how the rapid rise of sexualized image and messages contributes to a distorted view of bodies, relationships, and sexuality. 

“Our young people are being harmed daily by a deluge of sexualised images and messages which erode their confidence and wellbeing and contribute to body image and mental health issues. 

“We will help parents and caregivers understand the problem and provide practical tips for dealing with it,” said Ms Reist. 

Mr Daniel Principe has spent almost 10 years working with schools and communities across Australia to challenge porn culture and our view of masculinity. 

“I challenge young men to confront unhealthy stereotypes about what it is to be a man and choose something better for themselves. We need to help them be upstanders and not by-standers – for their good, and the good of society as a whole.”

TFSS manager Family Preservation Bryarne Bielefeld said that the idea for the webinar came from community feedback.

“Partnering with Collective Shout makes sense given how our core values align, helping strengthen and improve social and personal well-being outcomes for our communities,” said Ms Bielefeld.

“What media young people engage with plays such an important role in forming their view of the world. While we may not be able to fix the issue, we want to help community members be able to address this toxic culture,” said Ms Bielefeld.  

Registrations for this free webinar close on Wednesday 27 September. Click here to register.  

A recording of the webinar, including follow up resources, will be shared with all participants following the event.