Standing Against Sexualisation: A Powerful Message for Our Community

Last Thursday, our school community had the privilege of hosting two powerful voices in the conversation about protecting young people: Melinda Tankard Reist, a renowned author and advocate, and Dr. Marshall Ballentine, a respected psychologist, youth mental health expert, and author of the DigiHelp program our students are engaging with in Wellbeing Lessons. The sessions on Thursday were tailored for students during the day, while the night session catered to parents and staff. Both offered a compelling, challenging, and ultimately hopeful message about the sexualisation of young people in Australia and the urgent need for awareness and action.

Shocking Statistics, Sobering Truths

Melinda Tankard Reist presented confronting data, highlighting how Australian children—particularly girls—are being sexualised at increasingly younger ages. Research shows:

• 70% of teens have been exposed to pornography by the age of 13.
• The average age students are exposed is 11.5yrs. (Incidently, this is also the average age teens start using Social Media platforms.)
• 1 in 3 young people report being pressured into sexual activity before they feel ready.
• Social media, advertising, and popular culture are accelerating harmful stereotypes and unrealistic body standards, impacting young people’s mental health, body image, and self-worth.

Dr. Ballentine, who has a Phd in this area, shared the physical and psychological harmful impacts of exposure to pornography, violence in gaming, and addictions related to gaming, social media, and pornography. Changes in brain chemistry, reduced frontal cortex development (the reasoning and executive functioning centre of the brain), and rising rates of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, and self-harm are just some of the effects. Melinda and Marshall called for communities to push back against these pressures by promoting healthy identity formation grounded in truth and connection.

A Biblical Worldview

Our speakers and all school staff are committed to engaging with this issue from a Biblical worldview—one that affirms every young person’s dignity, value, and purpose. They remind us that our children are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) and that God’s design for relationships, sexuality, and identity provides a protective and life-giving foundation. We are grateful for the work of dedicated Christians like Melinda, Marshall and Daniel Principe in this space.

Honest Feedback from Students and Parents

As part of our commitment to school improvement, we surveyed students after these sessions, also giving them an opportunity to share some of the things they might be experiencing as teens related to these issues. Sadly, some students reported that they have seen or experienced some of these issues themselves. Unfortunately, our connected online society means that Christian students and families are just as much at risk. You can see below that just under 83% of students knew or had seen some or most of the material or experiences discussed. (1 being I knew everything, and 5 I knew nothing.)

However, after the session, the students also reported feeling empowered and validated by the sessions, and that they had learnt something new. 85 % of students also recorded that they would like to have Melinda back to talk more at some point:

Here are some individual comments from our students.

“It was a really good period with her. I know that all the stuff she taught me will help me in the future.”

“It was super informative. Having her made everyone aware of what’s happening and the action we can take.”

“It was super interesting what she was talking about.”

Thank you also to the 40 or so parents who attended the evening session. As a parent myself, I appreciated the clarity, honesty, and practicality of the advice. After speaking to some of you, many remarked that it was confronting but also incredibly important, expressing gratitude for the information. Some remarks included;

“I’m going straight home to talk to my kids about it.”

“I thought, yeah, I know lots about this stuff already, but I learnt so much.”

“It was a wake-up call as a parent to be having honest conversations with my kids about what they know, and are seeing online, and to be limiting their time online and not having their devices in their bedrooms.”

“It’s scary stuff, but so important.”

“When I got home, I asked him if he knew about this stuff (sexualised content) and he did.”

What Can We Do as Parents?

It’s not all bad news, though. The key takeaway is that parents are not powerless. There are several simple yet effective steps we can take:

• Monitor and review: Regularly check device usage and apps. Know what your children are viewing and for how long.
• Open communication: Create a safe space to discuss identity, relationships, and values, where questions can be asked, and mistakes can be learnt from.
• Stay informed: Understand the digital environment your children are navigating. It’s constantly changing so keeping informed is important.

Tools and Resources for Parents

To help parents stay on top of digital activity and start important conversations, the speakers recommended some apps, and I’ve included some of them here.

Monitoring Apps

• Bark (www.bark.us): Monitors texts, emails, and apps for signs of harmful content and alerts parents.
• Qustodio (www.qustodio.com): Helps track screen time, set limits, and block inappropriate content.
• Family Zone (www.familyzone.com): Offers parental controls and expert advice for managing kids’ online presence.

Conversation Support

• The eSafety Commissioner (www.esafety.gov.au): Government-backed advice on digital safety and resources for talking with kids.
• Parent TV (www.parenttv.com): Videos from experts on a range of parenting topics, including online safety and mental health.
• Melinda Tankard Reist’s Website (www.collectiveshout.org): Campaigns, blog posts, and guides for tackling sexualisation in media and culture.

We are so thankful for Melinda, Dr. Ballentine, and Daniel Principe’s partnership earlier in the year. We encourage every family to keep the conversation going. With courage, truth, and love, we can stand against harmful influences and raise young people who are confident in who they are meant to be in Christ.

Yours in Christ,

Faith Hull

Principal