Care Visions Talks

Care Visions Family Talk: Helping Young People Navigate Pornography and Misogyny Online with Gael Cochrane

Care Visions Season 1 Episode 20

In this episode of Family Talk, Linda de Caestecker is joined by Gael Cochrane, Learning, Development and Innovation Lead at Community Justice Scotland, to explore how pornography and the online “manosphere” are shaping the lives, attitudes and relationships of young people today.

Drawing on the Many Good Men project and years of experience in sexual health, relationships education and justice social work, Gael explains:

  • How early and often children are now exposed to pornography
  • The links between porn, misogyny, the manosphere and influencers like Andrew Tate
  • How violent and extreme content is becoming normalised in teenage relationships
  • The impact on self-esteem, body image, consent, intimacy and mental health

Most importantly, Linda and Gael talk about what parents, carers and grandparents can actually do: setting boundaries around devices, using parental controls, opening up honest conversations, supporting boys to express their emotions and helping young people recognise healthy relationships and respect.

This is a frank but hopeful conversation, offering practical ideas to help adults support the children and young people they care about to stay safe, informed and connected.