In partnership with the Hikitia! team, join us for the Left to their Own Devices workshop with Jo Robertson.

Understand the landscape young people now live in, what the impacts are, how to address harm and where to go for help. Jo will cover screen time, porn, social media, and grooming. Dive into the nuances of filters, fostering open communication, and promoting online safety to give your children a more secure online experience.

Jo has established Tricky Chats Parenting – a step-by-step guide for all things screens, safety and sexual wellbeing. She is a qualified sex therapist with a Master of Science in Medicine and has had nearly 20 years of professional experience in sexual health, relationships, child development, and sexual trauma. She helps adults talk to children and teenagers about the "tricky topics" – sex, porn, grooming, abuse, consent, online safety. She works in schools and community groups every week to offer practical guidance on how to do this.

Hikitia! is a community-led initiative funded by ACC as part of Te Aorerekura, the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence.

Jo is also running a workshop on Tuesday 16 June – The Lost Boys of the West – covering current evidence on boys’ educational, mental health, and behavioural outcomes, alongside an examination of the digital ecosystems shaping young people’s values in a "post-truth era".

For more information, contact youth ministry coordinator Brad Wood or children and families ministry coordinator Amanda Poil.