Robin Pickering is currently an Associate Professor of Health Sciences specializing in Community Health at Whitworth University in Spokane Washington.

Her research interests include women’s health issues, exercise self-efficacy, and the impact of social media on health risk behaviors. She currently serves as a member of the Women and Gender Studies Committee at Whitworth University and the advisory board for the Eastern Washington University Alumni magazine, as well as a contributor for several local media publications. She has served as the Vice Chair of the Board for the Spokane AIDS Network, Program Director of Community Health at Eastern Washington University (EWU), and steering committee member for the Masters in Public Health degree for EWU.

Robin received her PhD in Education with an emphasis on Health, Psychology, and Adult Education, a master’s degree in Exercise Science and Pedagogy, and a bachelor’s degree in Health Promotion and Wellness. She has also served on the board for Early Head Start, The Spokane Birth Outcome Task Force, and on various other committees committed to promoting community health. Robin is a certified Wellness Coach and currently serves as a Personal Development Consultant specializing in Sexual Assault Prevention for the Spokane Chiefs (a local hockey team) and has instructed yoga in the community for 16 years 

“helping your kids by talking about this stuff with them actually increases the likelihood of them staying safe  and does not seem to increase the likelihood of them having sexual contact”

– robin pickering

robin and I discussed the following in this episode:

• The changing attitudes to consent, technology, gender and other aspects which make the subject difficult.

• The wishful thinking aspect of parenting where conversations are avoided in the hope they will disappear and the myth that if you talk about sex the more kids will be interested in it.

• How being the trusted adult, having conversations and naming body parts correctly make it more likely they will tak to you about it.

• How pornography is tending to give kids an extreme version of what sex and bodies should look like. The difficulty of gaining research on the impact of this on a young persons mind, but the growing evidence that it suggests more risk taking as they get older.

• The steps you can take like having the computer in a communal room and limiting exposure

• Discussing with your kids what the purpose of certain things they will see are, is it marketing? Are they trying to sell something? Teaching kids to critically thing about what they are watching.

• Teaching kids what healthy vs unhealthy relationships look like and giving you kids the tools to differentiate.

• The way in which young peoples relationships can set off in a disfunctional way in the current climate through pananoia around a partners availability to other people for relationships online.

• Striking a balance between allowing online freedom and not controlling it so much that they wont talk to you.

• The evidence around talking about LGBT issues and how it doesn’t suggest talking about it makes it more likely for kids to change sexuality.

• Why it’s better to look at safety as the priority rather than values and moral judgements around sexuality.

• How the whole landscape around consent has changed in the past few decades and the implications this has on sexual relationships.

• Navigating with your kids dignity and respect, particularly when it comes to being sent images or media of a sexual nature.

• Peer pressure to fit in even when kids are uncomfortable with what they are seeing.

• The serious legal implications in some US States and other ares of the world of sending underage sexual pictures.

• How revenge porn is common amongst young people and why setting up expectations early are key.

To find out more about robin and how to get in touch with her:

Robin’s Amazon Page

Robin’s University Page