Interview: Melinda Tankard Reist on healthy relationships, masculinity and the Conviction Group Forums By Harry Easton Conviction Group was delighted to welcome writer and social commentator Melinda Tankard Reist to the Sydney North Young Men’s Health Forum in September. The Young Men’s Health Forum is an event run by Conviction Group which aims to encourage […]
Helping boys be their best selves Many of you are aware I am now presenting my ‘Navigating a Se*ed Up World’ to more young men around the country. Because of the demand – and because he is so good at engaging young people! – I now have Daniel Principe speaking alongside me more regularly. Sydney-based […]
Confronting the harmful impacts of porn on boys: and encouraging them to aspire to healthy relationships When I first heard the name ‘Richie Hardcore’ I thought maybe he was an ex porn ‘star’ now going ‘hard’ against porn. Turned out it was his ring (fighting) name and related to a sub-genre of punk music. A […]
What happened to your body image and self-respect policies Girlfriend mag? In the year 2013, I wrote the ‘Girl Mag Watch’ reviews for Generation Next, which were published on the website of the youth mental health social enterprise and in its newsletters to thousands of subscribers. I reviewed Girlfriend and Dolly (an example of a review can be found here). […]
Stop the mutilation of women’s bodies for profit! If you missed ABC Four Corners searing expose of Australia’s cosmetic surgery industry and its callous disregard for the health and wellbeing of women, you really should take a look. You will see how the cosmetic surgery industry preys on the body angst of vulnerable women and […]
Free from ‘toxic chemicals.’ Not free from toxic messages Last week, 15 girls aged 14-16, and involved with Fusion Mornington Peninsula’s Real Girls program, took on Australian make-up and skincare brand Frank Body over its lip and cheek ‘Send Nudes’ product. Fusion Mornington Peninsula June 7 at 5:50pm Dear Frank Body, I am speaking on […]
One of the tactics predators use to groom children for sexual abuse is exposing them to pornography. Yet the Ad Standards Board permits the sex industry to target children in advertisements for pornography and prostitution services. The ASB gives free rein to the sex industry to advertise sexual services in public spaces, including areas frequented […]
A threat to women. A disgrace to his profession This extract, quoting the mother of Grace Bellavue (Pippa O’Sullivan) is taken from ‘Sex Worker. Writer. Activist. Social Media Star. Who was the real Grace Bellavue?’ by Caroline Overington (writing in The Weekend Australian, September 10-11, and in the online version ‘Who was the real Grace […]
Suicide rates for young Australians double in a decade This report on ABC News yesterday, ‘Suicide rates for young Australians highest in 10 years, researchers call for new prevention strategies’, reveals the distressing situation regarding the numbers of young people wanting to end their lives. In my talks in schools around the country, young people […]
‘The glamorising and approval of teen girl audiences of the captioned desire to depart from life is surely one of the most dangerous digital conversations unfolding today’ These postings provide a snapshot of the Instagram dialogue trending amongst Australian adolescent girls. It is a virtual battleground of life and death on the popular image-sharing […]
We must half messages and imagery which reduces women to sexual objects, fosters a culture which condones sexual violence, and pressures young girls to act in prematurely sexual ways Collective Shout has made a submission to the NSW Parliamentary Committee on Children and Young People Inquiry into sexualisation. We hope this inquiry won’t go the […]
‘A chocolate bar every now and then won’t kill me, but not eating a chocolate bar every now and then will strengthen my eating disorder, which in turn will kill me (and nearly did)’ Claire Mercer When I was around 12 years old I developed Anorexia Nervosa and became seriously ill in a very short […]
