Conference 2022

There is a serious and growing problem in Australian communities. ​​​​​​​We need to talk about this. 

Creating Compassionate Communities conference: On 12 October 2022, more than 180 delegates joined the conversation to learn more about factors contributing to child sexual abuse and sexual violence offending in Australia

• Why is there confusion about consent, and an erosion of the fundamentals of respect in relationships?
• Why are children and young people increasingly represented in reports of harmful sexualised behaviours?
• What do you understand about the ‘drivers’ that influence this growing problem and how do we engage the community in the solutions?
• What do you know about how to address attitudes that contribute to the problem and maintain gender inequality and sexual objectification?
• What do you understand about the impact of trauma on a child or adult’s capacity to self-regulate and how this may impact too for you in your work?

When we are better informed, we are more effective in our work. Each person can make a difference by influencing one mind and one heart at a time.

Why did this conversation matter?

It is important that we understand what key messages from society are impacting children and young people’s developing brains and what is influencing their future attitudes. We are aware pornography consumption by young people, and the ease of access, is at what could be considered pandemic proportions.

Dr Michael Flood, Maree Crabbe, Kayelene Kerr, and Dr Carolyn Johnson, Coby Greer and others, were engaged to help us understand how we can influence building better brains so to speak, where children do not have their capacity to self-regulate, or the optimal development of positive self-concepts compromised by these challenging times in which we all live.

Why do we do what we do?

We aim to do better in our approaches in supporting children and young people’s development, and with their concepts of self and gender roles. Learning about the neuroscience of self-regulation is not only important in terms of understanding a child’s development, but helps workers to understand the influence they have through the process of co-regulation and how this can also assist them with the prevention of vicarious trauma.

Phoenix is committed to creating compassionate communities through advocacy, education and support.

We are Phoenix and this is what we do.

Conference Sponsors