Melinda Tankard Reist is an author, speaker, media commentator, blogger and advocate for women and girls. She is best known for her work addressing sexualisation, objectification, harms of pornography, sexual exploitation, trafficking and violence against women.

Summary

In this conversation, Danielle Strickland and her co-host James Sholl engage with Melinda Tankard Reist, a passionate advocate against the exploitation of women and children through pornography. They discuss the alarming rise of harmful sexual behaviors among youth, the cultural attitudes that normalize pornography, and the role of technology in perpetuating exploitation. Melinda shares insights from her research and experiences, highlighting the urgent need for collective action to combat these issues. The conversation emphasizes the importance of empathy, awareness, and advocacy in creating a safer world for women and girls.

Takeaways

* Melinda Tankard Reist is a passionate advocate against pornography and exploitation.

* The rise of harmful sexual behaviors among youth is alarming and needs urgent attention.

* Cultural attitudes often normalize pornography, making it difficult to combat its effects.

* Technology plays a significant role in perpetuating exploitation and harmful behaviors.

* Empathy is crucial in understanding the impact of pornography on individuals and society.

Collective action is necessary to address the systemic issues surrounding pornography.

* There is hope for change, as many individuals are beginning to recognize the harms of pornography.

* Education and awareness are key in fighting against the normalization of pornography.

* The fight against exploitation requires both personal and political action.

* We must not be naive about the dangers posed by the pornography industry.

Sound bites

"We need a global ban on AI deep fake."

"We are losing empathy and this is my biggest fear."

"We deserve more than porn. We deserve to be loved."

Important Links

For parents:

What you need to know: https://culturereframed.org

Discussing with kids: https://parents.thorn.org/situation/

Parental online controls: https://www.bark.us

Fighting Back:

Fight The New Drug: https://fightthenewdrug.org

Resisting porn: https://resistporn.org

READING LIST

'Behind the Classroom Door', MTR, Eureka Street ,https://melindatankardreist.com/2025/05/behind-the-classroom-door-sexual-harassment-is-becoming-routine/

‘P*rn’s grooming starts young’, MTR, Eureka Street https://melindatankardreist.com/2023/07/prns-grooming-starts-young-mtr-eureka-street-essay/

“It makes my skin crawl”: sexual moaning rise in schools’, MTR, https://melindatankardreist.com/2022/06/it-makes-my-skin-crawl-sexual-moaning-rise-in-schools/

'Secondary Schools and a duty of care to keep students safe from harmful sexual behaviours', 'Off The Cuff' podcast, Kelly Humphries with guests Melinda Tankard Reist and Maha Melhem: https://kellyhumphries.com/podcast_episodes/maha-melhem-melinda-tankard-reist-the-complex-storm-harmful-sexual-behaviours-prn/

'Digital Dangers: AI Weaponization and Online Exploitation', 'Off the Cuff' podcast, Kelly Humphries with guests Melinda Tankard Reist and Maha Melhem: https://kellyhumphries.com/podcast_episodes/digital-dangers-ai-weaponization-and-online-exploitation/

Digital Dangers: AI Weaponization and Online Exploitation | Kelly Humphries

AI weaponization, sextortion, and the exploitation of young people are on the rise, creating a digital nightmare for vulnerable youth. Join me, along with Melinda Tankard Reist and Maha Melham, as we delve into this digitally dark world of online exploitation.

kellyhumphries.com

'Adolescence: It's time for Katie's story', MTR, MTR blog: https://melindatankardreist.com/2025/05/adolescence-its-time-for-katies-story/

Never Again? Addressing Sexual Violence Must Include P*rnography’, Melinda Tankard Reist, ABC Religion & Ethicshttps://www.abc.net.au/religion/never-again-addressing-sexual-violence-must-include-pornography/10094568

‘Growing Up in P*rnland: Girls Have Had It with Porn Conditioned Boys, Melinda Tankard Reist, ABC Religion & Ethics,https://www.abc.net.au/religion/growing-up-in-pornland-girls-have-had-it-with-porn-conditioned-b/10097244

‘In a society where male violence seems inevitable we need much more than education and awareness’, Michael Salter, The Guardian, Tuesday April 30,

2024 https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/30/in-a-society-where-male-violence-seems-inevitable-we-need-much-more-than-education-and-awareness

‘Sexual violence is pushing girls out of school’, UK Agenda Alliance https://www.agendaalliance.org/news/sexual-violence-absenteeism-girls-school/

Children now ‘biggest perpetrators of sexual abuse against children’https://www.theguardian.com/society/2024/jan/10/children-now-biggest-perpetrators-of-sexual-abuse-against-children?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_content=ap_qf09zbmvhm

‘There are reports some students are making sexual moaning noises at school. Here’s how parents and teachers can respond’, Daryl Higgins, Gabrielle Hunt, The Conversation, January 31, 2024 https://theconversation.com/there-are-reports-some-students-are-making-sexual-moaning-noises-at-school-heres-how-parents-and-teachers-can-respond-220136

‘Child sexual abuse by different classes and types of perpetrator: Prevalence and trends from an Australian national survey’, Ben Mathews et al, Child Abuse & Neglect, Vol 147, January 2024, 106562https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0145213423005501?via%3Dihub

Our Watch P*rnography, young people and preventing violence against women https://media-cdn.ourwatch.org.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2020/11/20022415/Pornography-young-people-preventing-violence.pdf

National Plan to Address Violence Against Women https://www.dss.gov.au/ending-violence#:~:text=The%20National%20Plan%20outlines%20what,stop%20it%20before%20it%20starts.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to the Conversation

02:15 The Dark Reality of Pornography

10:49 The Impact of Pornography on Youth

16:58 Cultural Attitudes Towards Pornography

23:00 The Role of Technology in Exploitation

32:14 The Fight Against Exploitation

42:45 Hope and Change in the Fight Against Pornography

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