2. Let's talk about it

Talking about the awkward stuff. The Courage Club is a podcast for brave chats about our kids, disability and sexual safety, and we’re gonna start simply by naming it: we need to talk about how we keep our disabled tamariki safe from sexual harm. We’ll chat about why it’s important to start somewhere when it comes to approaches to safety; helping our tamariki to advocate for themselves; and also talk about some assumptions or ableist narratives that we’ve found we’ve had to overcome. Content warning: this podcast discusses child sexual harm. We know that this topic may be distressing. If you need to talk, then you can call or text the following numbers for free, confidential support anytime. HELP Auckland - Free Crisis Helpline: 0800 623 1700 | Text: 8326

Helping tamariki to understand their body and their needs. We chat about helping our young tamariki to communicate about their bodies and their feelings and tuning into it; creating a space where those conversations are normalised; and balancing body autonomy in medical or care environments. Content warning: this podcast discusses child sexual harm. We know that this topic may be distressing. If you need to talk, then you can call or text the following numbers for free, confidential support anytime. HELP Auckland - Free Crisis Helpline: ⁠0800 623 1700⁠ | Text: 8326

Navigating carers and visitors in and out of the home. We talk about navigating relationships with visitors in and out of the home. That could mean carers, but it also might mean wider whānau at home or out in the world. We chat about communicating with carers and visitors; creating a safe space, being confident in your decisions; balancing privacy with having an open door when it comes to care; and dealing with potential anxiety around it all. Content warning: this podcast discusses child sexual harm. We know that this topic may be distressing. If you need to talk, then you can call or text the following numbers for free, confidential support anytime. HELP Auckland - Free Crisis Helpline: ⁠0800 623 1700⁠ | Text: 8326

We heard from our advisors. This podcast was made with the support of experienced advisors from HELP Auckland, Family Action, and other agencies. So for our final episode, we gathered some more questions from our parent community and panel. Then we sat down with our advisors to hear from them about the practical steps we can take to ensure our children’s sexual safety. Content warning: this podcast discusses child sexual harm. We know that this topic may be distressing. If you need to talk, then you can call or text the following numbers for free, confidential support anytime. HELP Auckland - Free Crisis Helpline: ⁠0800 623 1700⁠ | Text: 8326

Building the foundations for their positive sexual wellbeing and identity. It can feel weird talking about this stuff when our kids are still kids, but building foundations for our children’s positive sexual identity is a strong protective factor in keeping them safe and happy. So we chat about making space for our child as a full human being; helping them to build a strong sense of their own identity; and teaching them what they’ll need to know for the future. Content warning: this podcast discusses child sexual harm. We know that this topic may be distressing. If you need to talk, then you can call or text the following numbers for free, confidential support anytime. HELP Auckland - Free Crisis Helpline: ⁠0800 623 1700⁠ | Text: 8326