In partnership with the Hikitia! team, join us for The Lost Boys of the West talk with Jo Robertson.

There is a growing, and polarising, global narrative that boys are “in crisis.” However, there has been minimal national-level analysis of the data or its implications for the parents and professionals supporting this generation of boys. This presentation brings together 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".

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 Wednesday 17 June on parenting in the digital era – Left to their Own Devices – covering essential strategies for navigating the digital world for your children and teenagers.

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