Special guest: Kirra Pendergast (founder and CEO of Safe on Social)

02/22/23 • 59 min

In this episode, Jenny talks with global thought leader Kirra Pendergast, who is the founder and CEO of Safe on Social. Kirra has worked at the cutting edge of Information Technology and Information (Cyber) Security since 1991.

Safe on Social is now the largest, most trusted, and in-demand cyber safety education and training group of companies globally. Kirra splits her time between the Asia Pacific Headquarters in Byron Bay, Australia, and Safe on Social's UK and European Headquarters in London, England, and Florence, Italy.
A dynamic and engaging public speaker, and international media commentator on cyber safety, cyber bullying, and social media risk management, she has written for too many media organisations to list and has appeared on major international news channels. She is a regular guest on podcasts across the world.
Kirra has dedicated the last 14 years of her career to working at the coalface of cybersafety by educating people as young 5yrs old through to seniors over 70yrs old. She understands every aspect of the sector.

Kirra’s lived experience sets her and Safe on Social apart. She experienced the nightmare of being the target of a vicious cyberbullying and online hate campaign orchestrated by someone she trusted in early 2014. This experience continues to influence her work.

The talk ranges over a wide area and will be of interest to anyone in the care of children or teens, anyone whose children or teens have access to devices that can connect to the internet. So that's all of us parents?
Some of the things covered:

Why parents need to keep on top of rapidly-changing technologies and apps
How parents and caregivers can best support their young people
How education in this domain has changed in the last ten years
How common sexting is
How vulnerable young children are if they use Snapchat, Roblox, Instagram etc
What teenagers want to know, bottom line -- what to do when things go wrong
Insights from young people today
What the future looks like

Helpful links:

www.safeonsocial.com
Read more on the Safe on Social blog at this link here
Questions: [email protected]

Opportunity:
Discount Code For Readers: 20% off the cost of our ESAFETYHQ Parent Program: sexedau20
Program link: https://www.safeonsocial.com/parents-program*
Please visit our website sexeducationaustralia.com.au where you can listen to our other episodes and also browse our pages for resources, information and support.
Primary resources are listed here: https://sexeducationaustralia.com.au/resources-2/resources-for-parents/
Secondary resources are here: https://sexeducationaustralia.com.au/resources-2/secondary-resources/
Thanks for listening!
Jenny + Justine

Why parents need to keep on top of rapidly-changing technologies and apps
How parents and caregivers can best support their young people
How education in this domain has changed in the last ten years
How common sexting is
How vulnerable young children are if they use Snapchat, Roblox, Instagram etc
What teenagers want to know, bottom line -- what to do when things go wrong
Insights from young people today
What the future looks like

Helpful links:

www.safeonsocial.com
Read more on the Safe on Social blog at this link here
Questions: [email protected]

Previous Episode

Xmas Special - end of year wrap

Our last episode for 2022, so we look back at how the year has gone.
Topics we cover:

what parents can think about over the break - maybe have that convo you've been putting off
focus and attention (and the importance of both)
the idea of getting kids reading over the summer
more on managing screens - why not consider a 'Summer Screen Contract' for your family?
most recent screen research - it's not good news (links below)
what the 'hot topics' this year have been (spoiler: most gender identity)
the importance of family's using proper names for private parts, and where there's been a shift on our part regarding this

Links:

Please visit our website sexeducationaustralia.com.au where you can listen to our other episodes and also browse our pages for more resources, information and support. Primary resources are listed here: https://sexeducationaustralia.com.au/resources-2/resources-for-parents/ and secondary resources here: https://sexeducationaustralia.com.au/resources-2/secondary-resources/
Send us questions or comments to [email protected]
Thanks for listening, and all the best for a safe and happy summer period. See you in 2024!
Jenny + Justine

Next Episode

Let's talk: pornography, part 2 (for parents of adolescents)

In this episode, Jenny and Justine reprise their chat about pornography (look up the previous episode which is for parents of younger, primary-aged children); but this time, focusing on how parents of secondary-aged children can approach the topic, answer questions, manage exposure incidents and inform themselves as part of preparing. ‘It’s not if but when’ is the catch-cry.
Links to research mentioned:

Common Sense Media: ‘Teens & Pornography’ (2022) https://is.gd/4wCwP5
UK Children’s Commissioner: ‘A lot of it is actually just abuse: Young people and pornography’ (2022) https://is.gd/0uXRrJ
ARCSHS ‘The 7th National Survey of Australian Secondary Students & Sexual Health’ (2021) https://is.gd/m2kEy5

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And if you happen to have a younger child – aged 5 to 12 – you might be interested in our upcoming webinar for parents called Talk to me first: pornography. Justine will cover why it’s so important for parents to be pro-active about this issue, and how to best support young children when they’re exposed. Let’s face it, porn has changed the landscape and it’s an enormous challenge for schools and families, but most of all children.
What's covered:
• Why and when parents need to talk
• How to get conversations started
• How to respond if your child has seen pornography
• Where to go for help and support
• Q&A
Link to TryBooking, event Talk to me first: pornography, for parents and caregivers of children aged 5 - 12.

***
Please visit our website sexeducationaustralia.com.au where you can listen to our other episodes and also browse our pages for resources, information and support.
Primary resources are listed here: https://sexeducationaustralia.com.au/resources-2/resources-for-parents/
Secondary resources are here: https://sexeducationaustralia.com.au/resources-2/secondary-resources/
Thanks for listening!
Jenny + Justine