Join us for an impactful presentation from grassroots social movement Collective Shout, as we explore the impact of social media and cultural influences on the well-being and relationships of young people. Learn how we, as parents, carers, teachers, and coaches, can help empower our young people to foster a culture of respect and empathy.

Melinda Tankard Reist, author, speaker, and advocate, teams up with Daniel Principe, youth advocate & educator, to help us navigate the increasingly difficult role of guiding young people to healthy adulthood. This is a must-see presentation for anyone who cares for or supports adolescent youth or who will do so in the coming years. By creating opportunities for conversation, we can be more informed and equipped to deal with the challenging and ever-changing landscape of our adolescents and our responses to them.

Children and young people are bombarded with hypersexualised messages from media and popular culture. Drawing from current global literature and the experiences of young people, Melinda and Daniel will explore how the proliferation of sexualized images and messages contributes to a distorted view of bodies, relationships, and sexuality, hampering their healthy physical, emotional, and social development.

Melinda Tankard Reist, Author, Speaker, Advocate
Melinda is an author, speaker, media commentator, and advocate for young people. Author/editor of 7 books, she is best known for her work addressing sexualization, objectification, harms of pornography, sexual exploitation, trafficking, and violence against women. Melinda has appeared on ABC’s Q&A, The Gruen Sessions, and many other TV and radio programs. She is co-founder and movement director of the grassroots campaigning movement, Collective Shout: for a world free of sexploitation. Melinda is an Ambassador for World Vision Australia, Compassion Australia, Hagar NZ, and the youth mentoring body, the Raise Foundation. She is also a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Culture and Ethics, Notre Dame University, Sydney, and named in the Who’s Who of Australian Women and the World Who’s Who of Women.

Daniel Principe, Youth Advocate & Educator
Daniel is Collective Shout’s youth advocate and educator. He has a background in PR, marketing, media, and as a health professional and advisor in the non-profit health sector. Daniel challenges toxic messages about masculinity in mainstream culture, which he critiques through a porn-critical lens. He helps young men to see how these cultural forces fuel distorted ideas and attitudes about bodies, relationships, and sexuality. Daniel works with young men to reimagine masculinity and embody a vision of manhood defined by respect. He also hosts Collective Shout’s podcast ‘Reimagining Masculinity’ and is a regular on TV and radio programs.

You can read a recent article from the SMH sharing more about Daniel Principe and his important youth advocacy work: Lunch with Daniel Principe: Young Australian combatting ‘porn culture’ in Australian high schools (smh.com.au)

Endorsements:
“I hesitantly went to Melinda’s talk about children being sexualized in the media, thinking it was going to be a sensationalist attempt to make me feel bad as a parent. During her introduction, I realized it was the best 50 steps I took from the car to the auditorium and 90 minutes later, I had quantifiable evidence and authentic strategies to help educate my children against the normalization of women and girls as sexual objects in the media.” – Heather Douglas, parent, Adelaide S.A

“Through their presentations and follow-up interactions, Melinda and Daniel provided a safe space to allow us to challenge society’s
narrow definition of what it is to be a good man and motivated our community to take positive steps to ensure we pursue happy,
healthy and positive relationships” – Liam Casson – Director of The Wynne Centre for Boys’ Health and Wellbeing, Christ Church
Grammar School, WA

This event is made possible with the support of the NSW Department of Regional Youth, the Kangaroo Valley Lion's Club Inc. Youth Project, Headspace Nowra, and Collective Shout.