Our advertising-driven culture often ignores the needs of the child who is watching and learning from the images and messages surrounding them. Sexually explicit outdoor advertising, bras for six year olds and teen models posed with ‘bedroom eyes’ are only part of this picture. The pressure to be skinny, sexy and flawless is felt by girls as young as five. The recent case of a woman in the US injecting her eight year old with Botox to improve her beauty pageant chances highlighted some pretty unhealthy attitudes and caused outrage. But advertisers sell this same message every day and our children are soaking in it.

Rising levels of childhood anorexia, body dissatisfaction, anxiety, sexual acting out - this is not what childhood should be about. What will equip children to make the journey more safely?

They need parents who set boundaries, share their values, are willing listeners and who communicate in age appropriate ways about sex, body changes and healthy decision making. Schools can resource parents through offering education opportunities and supportive resources.

School-based programs must uncompromisingly promote ‘best health’ values that stem from an appreciation of our ever changing bodies and our worth as individuals. Being media savvy, seeking support when times are tough and putting practical resilience skills into action — these are all essentials for a safer trip through our cultural waters.

Children need anchors. Together, both home and school can provide this sense of belonging and protection as children learn the skills to manage their world. Open Doors multimedia resources for both teachers and parents have been created with the needs of the child firmly front and centre. Now in over half the schools in Australia, Open Doors is dedicated to providing resilience, lifeskills, well-being and sex education resources to help skill children for a healthy future.