Speaking to learners about Pornography

Jeppe staff were addressed by child protection activists Robyn Wolfson Vorster and Kate Farina in their staff training session on Friday.

Mses Vorster and Farina will be presenting to the Jeppe boys this week on their research regarding responsible use of social media including the exposure to, viewing of and possible dependancy on online pornography.

Educators were given comprehensive information on the impact of pornography on learners and how to talk to them about their related struggles – as well as the legal implications of harmful behaviours including sexting and sextortion.

Robyn Wolfson Vorster is a child protection activist, researcher and writer. With a background in social sciences, strategic consulting and communication, Robyn left the corporate world 12 years ago to advocate for children’s rights. Since then, she has written more than 80 articles, mostly for the Daily Maverick, around a myriad of child protection issues ranging from trafficking to child abuse, from sexting to suicide.

She is co-author of South African children and pornography written to help practitioners deal with children’s exposure to pornography, and provided expert content for MNET’s 2024 documentary on the sexual abuse of boys at elite schools, School Ties.

Through her non-profit, For the Voiceless, Robyn amplifies the voices of vulnerable children, educates schools, communities, families and decision makers about how to keep them safer, and lobbies those in authority for changes in policy.

Kate Farina founded Be in Touch 6 years ago, with a focus on empowering and upskilling parents and teachers to keep children safer and saner online. She’s an online safety expert but as a parent of teens herself, is also a “mum on a mission”, helping other parents with practical tools to get the clarity and confidence they need to manage their family’s devices and stay connected to their children.

She much prefers solutions to scare-mongering! Kate has launched a petition to the Department of Basic Education to ban smartphones in classrooms and has also played a key part in the launch of the South African chapter of the Smartphone Free Childhood movement.