Reality & Risk project co-ordinator Maree Crabbe is an Australian researcher who has worked with young people - and on issues affecting young people - in the community sector since 1993.
She has developed and delivered programmes focusing on sexual violence prevention, sexual diversity and prevention of sexually transmissible infections, and has published articles on young people, sexuality and pornography.
She is in New Zealand this week holding workshops for the Ministry of Social Development.
St Hilda's Collegiate principal Jackie
Barron said when Dunedin secondary schools discovered Ms Crabbe would be in New Zealand, they convinced her to come to Dunedin to share her knowledge with local organisations.
``She is literally only here for the morning.
``Given some of the feature articles in the ODT lately about pornography, young people's mental health and the issues around anxiety and depression, I know these topics are of concern to our community, and the more information we can have and we can share, the better for our young people.''
Ms Crabbe's website said many schools were looking for assistance to respond to incidents involving explicit sexual imagery.
Schools were also keen to implement a broad, proactive approach to preventing the harms associated with pervasive and often aggressive pornography, and to equip pupils to navigate healthy social and sexual development in the 21st century.
Mrs Barron said the seminar would be funded by the Otago Community Trust and would be held at Otago Boys' High School auditorium, from 9.30am to 11.30am tomorrow.
``This is a great initiative shared by the secondary schools in Dunedin, and we are all keen for Maree Crabbe's insights and research to be shared with the wider community, so we can all work together to support the youth of Otago.''
