This episode includes discussion of sexual violence, coercion, and experiences of assault among young people. Listener discretion is advised.

In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, we sit down with Chanel Contos, founder of Teach Us Consent, to talk about how one Instagram post led to thousands of young people sharing their experiences, and ultimately helped drive mandated consent education across Australia. Chanel shares what it was like reading through testimony after testimony of peer-on-peer sexual violence, and how those stories revealed patterns around coercion, misunderstanding, and the way many young people are navigating sex without a clear understanding of consent.

We also explore what’s shaping young people’s expectations around sex and relationships today. How are teens actually learning about intimacy? What role does pornography play in shaping ideas about consent, boundaries, and what’s considered “normal”? And why are rates of youth-perpetrated sexual harm rising in some areas, even as other forms of abuse decline? Chanel breaks down how early, age-appropriate consent education can help address these gaps, and what it looks like to teach consent in a way that builds empathy, communication, and respect from a young age.

Episode Resources:

• Article: What is Inspiring Teens to Try Strangulation During Sex?
• Article: Oral Before Kissing: Porn Culture Has Changed Teens’ First Sexual Encounters
• Chanel's Instagram: @Chanelc
• Teach Us Consent:
• Fix Our Feeds
• Newsletter
• Instagram

Hunter Clark was first exposed to pornography as a child. What started as curiosity eventually became a habit he struggled for years to overcome. Like many people, he tried everything he could think of to quit—willpower, accountability partners, blockers, even extreme personal challenges—but nothing seemed to work. In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, Hunter shares how shame kept him stuck in that cycle for years and how things began to change when he stopped focusing only on quitting porn and started looking at the deeper reasons behind the behavior.

In this conversation, we explore questions many people are already asking: Why is porn so hard to quit? Does shame make porn habits worse? Can pornography affect relationships? And why do so many partners blame themselves when they discover a loved one’s porn habit?

Hunter opens up about the moment he realized his struggle was connected to deeper emotional wounds, the impact pornography had on his relationship with his wife, and how honesty and open conversations helped break the isolation that shame can create. We also discuss the idea that porn habits are often a symptom of something deeper—whether that’s unresolved trauma, stress, loneliness, or other emotional struggles—and why simply trying to “have more discipline” often isn’t enough.

This episode is sponsored by Relay, a secure peer-support app that connects you with a small group of people who understand what you’re going through and help you stay accountable on your journey to quit porn. CBC listeners can try Relay free for 7 days when they sign up at http://ftnd.org/joinrelay

Episode Resources:

• Article: Why Fighting Porn Must Include Fighting Shame
• Podcast: Consider Before Consuming Ep. 152: Chris Chandler
• Hunter's Podcast: Quit Porn with Hunter Clark
• Hunter's Instagram: _hunter.clark

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual exploitation and child sexual abuse in an educational and prevention-focused context. Listener discretion is advised.

Dr. Alexandra Bailey is a forensic psychologist, Head of Psychology at the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, and a leading expert in the prevention of child sexual abuse.

In this episode of Consider Before Consuming, she shares how harmful online behaviors can develop, and how pornography can play a role in that process for some individuals. As content has become more accessible, anonymous, and extreme, we explore how patterns of use can shift over time, including desensitization, novelty-seeking, and reinforcement.

We also talk about how the internet and emerging technologies like AI are changing the landscape, and how factors like shame, isolation, and mental health can keep people stuck in harmful cycles.

Most importantly, this conversation focuses on prevention—what it looks like, why it matters, and how resources like Stop It Now are helping people seek support before harm happens.

Along the way, we get into questions people are already asking: Does porn escalate? Why do I need more extreme porn? Is AI porn harmful? What should parents know about porn, sexting, and online safety?

Episode Resources:

• Article: Can Porn Use Escalate to Illegal Content? What Research and Real Stories Show
• Conversation Blueprint: Let's Talk About Porn
• The Lucy Faithfull Foundation: Stop It Now
• Research Paper: What's Porn Got To Do With It