Research that has analysed thousands of randomly chosen videos from popular pornographic websites found that physical aggression like strangulation, slapping and hair-pulling was present in 35-45% of scenes, depending on the website.

It’s important to be wary of clutching our pearls about porn here – there is no evidence to suggest that watching ethical porn results in an upswing in violent behaviour, but research released last year by the Australian Institute of Criminology does indeed show that more frequent intentional viewing of violent pornography is associated with a “small but statistically significant” increase in violence against women by men after they watched violent porn.

Couple this with the knowledge that one in three Australian children have seen online porn and that the average age of initial consumption of porn is 13 – and we can all feel a desperate kind of sorrow for adolescents navigating this world. Girls thinking this is what boys want, boys thinking that this is what girls want. The confusion, the painful wanting to be wanted, that perennial need to be thought of as cool that comes with teenagehood, all of it is now shadowed by the normalisation of something that is clearly dangerous – as any medical expert will tell you, there is no safe way to lose oxygen to the brain.

...I know from personal experience how hard it is to have the conversation about porn with young children. You look at your sweet prepubescent boy child and think he is definitely the only child on the planet not being exposed too early to things he definitely shouldn’t see. He is. They are. Not talking about it is no longer an option.

Vale Dolly Parton!

Apart from her artistic and business skills it's worth remembering Dolly for her philantropy including her Imagination Library that sends children a free book each month. The positive effects of this are very real.

Enjoy the article, and if you want to know more about the program in Australia or would like to be involved in getting one started in your area go to: https://imaginationlibrary.com/au/

To be eligible for the lung cancer screening program, Australians must be aged between 50 and 70 and have a significant history of smoking, equivalent to a pack of cigarettes a day for 30 years.

They must also have no signs or symptoms that suggest lung cancer, which kills about 9,000 Australians a year.

The program aims to detect lung cancer at an early, more treatable stage.

If you know anyone who fits the above description, please pass this info on.

It’s encouraging to see signs of improvement. But our findings should not be interpreted as meaning all rivers in these catchments are now healthy.

Although the trends are improving, nitrogen and sediment levels in many rivers are still higher than the thresholds considered suitable for supporting healthy coastal and marine ecosystems, such as wetlands, seagrass and near-shore coral reefs.

This isn’t surprising. Environmental recovery rarely happens quickly or evenly. River catchments often take several years to respond to improvement efforts, such as riverbank revegetation for sediment erosion control.

That’s why long-term river monitoring data is so important. Without this, it’s difficult to distinguish short-term fluctuations from genuine change.

The reef still faces enormous challenges from climate change, extreme weather and ongoing land-use pressures, including tree clearing.

What our findings suggest is that water quality trends in many of the river catchments discharging to the Great Barrier Reef are moving in the right direction.

It has not been easy to get here. It has taken long-term effort from farmers, graziers, catchment managers and researchers. Our scientific evidence demonstrates previous management efforts have made an impact, at scale – and that current and future efforts are worthwhile.

In a world increasingly dominated by stories of environmental decline, these slow signs of improvement are worth celebrating.

motherhood regret is not the same as postnatal depression or other postnatal mental health conditions, although it's possible to experience both at the same time.

The little research that's been done shows that women "were often scared to share their stories and, in many cases, were speaking about it for the first time. It's just too taboo. It's too much of a risk socially for people to admit,"

It can be tricky looking for a new job while you're still employed, especially while trying to keep your plans private or if you're wanting to leave your employer on good terms.

Experts say there are a few things to consider before you start the process and how and when to handle conversations with employers, should the right position come up.

The study found those exposed to a suicide attempt were significantly more likely to attempt suicide themselves in the two years following exposure. They were also more likely to develop more severe symptoms of depression. Both these findings confirmed existing research.

When researchers controlled for depressive symptoms, participants’ still had a higher risk of attempting suicide. This confirms and adds to past research which has being exposed to suicide increases suicide risk, independently of mental health factors.

Interestingly, having larger sized in-person networks appeared to protect young people against developing severe depression after being exposed to a suicide attempt. But larger online social networks had the opposite effect.

There have been multiple high-profile alleged incidents of sexual violence against women and girls in news headlines this month. Some of them involve teenage boys.

We know parents have an important role to play in teaching their children about respectful sex and healthy relationships – and countering harmful messages they may see online.

According to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics data, nearly 30% of all sexual assaults reported to police in 2024 were against girls between 10–17 years old. The number of sexual assaults recorded nationally in 2024 also increased by 10% from 2023.

Children and teens need to know the facts and risks, and to be in no doubt that their parents will support them through any experience.

Eating Disorders are misunderstood and grossly under-estimated. A lack of understanding and stigma associated with mental health affect community responses to eating disorders.

It is important that everyone understands the facts about mental health and eating disorders. This leads not only to a more aware and accepting community, but also improves prevention, early identification and help-seeking.

Read on for 8 myths about eating disorders and understanding the realities.

There's a whole lot of resources and links that might be useful to you or someone you know.

https://bravehearts.org.au/about-child-sexual-abuse/resources/

You notice someone close to you has lost a lot of weight. You also notice that they’re skipping meals and talking more pessimistically about food and their body. You feel concerned but worry that commenting on their body might do more harm than good.

So what should you do? Where is the line between showing concern and being harmful?

Book Week, costume parties and other dress-up days can be great fun for children. Parents and carers may picture their child wearing their favourite superhero or princess costume, enthusiastically joining in celebrations.

But some kids may not like the idea of dressing up.

Many adults and children may face this situation as daycares and primary schools encourage dress ups for Book Week, which starts this week.

How can you navigate this situation without adding too much pressure?

Often, I omit the fact and only disclose it after a potential match gets to know me a little.

I would like to say I am still being authentic, but in truth I am not.

I am performing an edited version of myself; the socially acceptable one that platonic and romantic prospects seem to connect with...

Apart from advice, the article has links to a lot of helpful resources.

Arming your child with basic financial information about budgeting, spending and saving can help them avoid poor choices later in life, explains ASIC MoneySmart senior executive leader Laura Higgins.

"Running up too much debt on a credit card or not insuring their car properly can have a huge impact on a young person," she says.

Debt is a huge problem. A third of young Australian households are considered "over-indebted", which means what they owe is three or more times their income, or 75 per cent or more of the value of their assets.

Disclosure: I had never heard of 'blind boxes' till I saw this article. Then again, I don't have young children in my life.

Blind boxes are starting to be regulated in some countries so obviously they pose a threat. Gobsmacked that we are bringing addiction dangers so early in kids' lives.

There should be more consistent approach to how winning probability and age recommendations are displayed.

The article provides some advice on how to help kids engage positively with blind boxes

Data from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey shows that risky drinking behaviours in middle-aged women significantly increased between 2001 and 2019.

A Macquarie University study of women aged over 40 last year found many were using alcohol to cope with hidden perimenopausal anxiety.

An addiction specialist says health professionals are still looking for risky drinking behaviours in men, which means women are falling between the gaps.

Females get greater harm from alcohol because they can't metabolise it as well as their male counterparts, they more quickly become dependent upon alcohol and they more quickly develop the harms from alcohol."

Dr Davis encouraged women to question whether alcohol was beneficial for them, as just one less drink could improve overall health.

About 1 in 5 Australians live with persistent pain which can be a complex and debilitating experience. This morning I was listening to a conversation on chronic pain and how it works: https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/lifematters/chronic-pain-brain-science-downsizing-hording-stuff/106959032

The above program also mentioned this website: https://painrevolution.org/ which among other things, helps people to understand pain, and has a directory of community and health professionals around Australia who are trained in pain education so they can help people retrain their brain to deal with pain and to live a better life.

Children who are parentified take on emotional and instrumental responsibilities before their brain is developmentally ready, but also before they are ready emotionally...

"Instrumental parentification is like practical responsibilities, so caring for siblings, getting meals done, handling household tasks."

Emotional parentification is more damaging, because the child is managing the emotions of the parents.

The article includes the signs of parentification in adults and steps you can take to heal from that childhood experience.

cross-posted from: https://aussie.zone/post/35560912

Extreme heat is no longer a future risk, it's already reshaping how families parent and how children grow up. Heat doesn't make headlines like a bushfire or a flood, but it's the deadliest climate hazard of all, and unlike disasters that hit one place, heatwaves hit whole cities and regions at once. With record heat already gripping the Northern Hemisphere and a super El Niño bearing down on Australia this summer, this conversation couldn't be timelier.

Join Parents for Climate and the Environmental Defenders Office as they unpack EDO's soon-to-be-published community guide, connecting the everyday impacts families are living through to established human rights and children's rights frameworks, and what a credible pathway to accountability actually looks like.

You'll walk away knowing:

• How extreme heat is already affecting children's health, education and family life

• What human rights and children's rights mean in the context of climate change

• What you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones, understand your rights, and the steps available if you want to raise concerns about climate impacts on your family

For more info and to register: https://www.parentsforclimate.org/heat_rising

cross-posted from: https://aussie.zone/post/35502339

The article shares 'some ways to make space for your feelings and find connection and support.' Various organisations and resources are mentioned which can help.

...we have learned that paying attention to feelings like ecological grief is not a distraction from responding to pressing environmental challenges.

When it comes to taking time off work for your own personal illness or injury, you probably have some idea of what your entitlements are. But when it comes to needing time off to care for others, you may be more unsure of your rights.

Although sick and carer's leave are different types of time off, both come under the umbrella of personal leave and draw from the same accrued balance, but in what instances can you take carer's leave, how much notice do you need to give your employer, and what sort of documentation do you require?

Experts say drinking too much cow's milk contributed to the deaths of three toddlers in the past two years by causing severe iron deficiency anaemia.

Blood specialist Dr Sally Campbell says babies aged one-and-under should not be given cow's milk at all, and children aged one-to-five should be restricted to two cups per day.

She said the Queensland toddlers who died developed infections, such as a virus, on top of their extreme iron deficiency anaemia, which meant their bodies lacked sufficient red blood cells to adequately carry oxygen to their organs.

Dr Campbell said they were otherwise healthy.

"They were drinking more than one litre of cow's milk per day. This resulted in them developing extreme iron deficiency anaemia and sadly, dying," she said.

"They had a virus or something else that tipped them over the edge, but the cause of their severe iron deficiency anaemia was from excess cow's milk.

"One small virus can unfortunately be life-threatening when you've got a chronic anaemic state. The ability of your body to cope, when you have a quarter of the amount of red blood cells that you should have, deteriorates."

Scammers know many Australians will expect to receive census-related communications. By impersonating trusted organisations such as the ABS and using authentic-looking emails, text messages and websites, they can make phishing attempts appear more legitimate.

A few simple precautions can greatly reduce your risk.

Make sure you are on the correct website. Complete your census through the official census website, your myGov inbox if you’ve subscribed to census updates, or a paper form. Double-check the web address before entering any personal information.

Stay alert. Don’t click links in unexpected emails or text messages claiming to be from the ABS. If you’re unsure whether a message is genuine, go directly to the official ABS website rather than following a link.

Be aware of misinformation. The ABS will never offer prizes or incentives for completing your census. The bureau will also not ask for passwords, banking details, tax file numbers or identity documents.

If you receive a suspicious message claiming to be from the ABS, report it to the bureau itself and to Scamwatch.

This article from New Zealand is applicable anywhere. The author, Alison Talmage, has even created The VOCCAL Handbook as part of her doctoral research for anyone wanting to start their own neurological choir.

When people are first diagnosed with a brain condition, they may not consider joining a choir to improve their wellbeing and regain their voice.

But as our research shows, there’s a strong link between singing in a choir and self-reported quality of life for people with brain injuries and dementia – as high as for community choir members without communication disabilities.

The University of Auckland’s Centre for Brain Research launched the CeleBRation Choir almost two decades ago to help stroke survivors and adults with other brain conditions through voice exercises and singing of familiar songs.

Singing in this choir has helped people overcome difficulties with speech, language, voice and memory.