April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and a group of Central Australian service providers want to draw attention to the fact that technology, like mobile phones, enables young people to create, send and receive sexually suggestive images and text messages, which is known as sexting.

“These readily available and increasingly aggressive sexual images and text messages can have devastating and wide ranging individual impacts, which in turn have broader implications for the health, law enforcement and legal system,” said Catherine Lucas from the Central Australia Health Service’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre.

“Many parents are unaware of how accessible pornography has become and how it is influencing young people’s sexual understanding and experiences and the associated dangers with it,” said Detective Sergeant Carmen Butcher from the Northern Territory Police.

“Research in recent years clearly indicates that the messages conveyed in pornography are physical and verbal aggression directed at women, degrading women and hence feeding further into the cycle of domestic and family violence,” Ms Lucas said.

“Young people need to be supported via their parents, schools and community organisations to distinguish between abusive exploitative sexual digital images and healthy intimate respectful relationships before the impact on the public health and legal system is too great,” said Detective Sergeant Butcher.

“We need to be outspoken and highlight the myth that pornography is sexual education for young people,” said Christa Bartjen–Westermann, Manager of the Sexual Assault Referral Centre.

“It does the opposite and it leads to a completely distorted perception and degradation of women.

“Without assistance young people don’t have the understanding and analytical abilities to navigate their way through this,” Ms Bartjen–Westermann said.

“Films like The Porn Factor by Maree Crabbe are important testimony on how to assist further understanding of this very sensitive and pervasive issue,” said Di Gipey, Chief Executive Officer of the Alice Springs Women’s Shelter.

Knowing that significant collaboration is necessary to achieve a cultural shift, SARC is partnering with key stakeholders in Alice Springs during April and beyond to continue ongoing focus around this important and sensitive subject.

The Central Australia Health Service is governed by a Statutory Board and is responsible for the Alice Springs and Tennant Creek Hospitals.  It has a primary role in health service delivery in the region, including primary health care, mental health, oral health, cancer screening services and alcohol and other drug services.

Media Contact: Eleanor Talbot 8951 5259 or 0401 114 113