2019 Salt Lake City UCAP Conference
How Debunking Myths Can Help Parents and Teens Work Together to Prevent and Overcome Pornography
As millennials, we’ve lived through those tough teen years during the age of internet pornography. We understand what teens are going through because we’ve been there: addiction, loneliness, fear, hopelessness, confusion. But we’re here to tell you that it gets better, and we can help you do even better than we were able to do.
There are many misunderstandings that keep parents and teens from communicating and connecting effectively, especially when it comes to taboo topics like pornography and sex. This can be detrimental to today’s teens as they grow up bombarded by a never-ending stream of sexual images and expectations from peers, media, and social media. How can we help parents understand how to better connect to their teens? How can we help teens feel like they are being heard and aren’t alone in their struggle? We will address 12 key myths about pornography exposure and addiction, relevant to teens, parents, and leaders of teens. These myths focus on what addiction is ( “Why can’t they/I just stop?”), how to dispel shame, how to have more constructive conversations between a teen and parent, and how to find hope in recovery—both for the parent and the teen.
Cassandra Hulse
Cassandra Hulse has worked with Reach 10 in various capacities since its beginning. As a millennial herself, she’s very passionate about educating other millennials, teens, and parents whose generations have been relentlessly bombarded by pornography. Her journey of advocating for healthy sexuality and compassionate recovery started with publishing www.battletogether.com where she shared her own story of pornography addiction. Since then, Cassandra has become a strong advocate for women and men who feel trapped by the shame, silence, and fear of reaching out for help with pornography addiction. She has spoken at the Annual SASH Conference and other academic and religious events, hoping to give a voice to those who feel they don’t have one.
Zachary and Rachel Andrews
Zachary Andrews is an officer within Reach 10, a senior at Brigham Young University studying psychology and a seminary student teacher. Recovering from compulsive pornography use himself, Zachary is passionate about sharing his story of recovery. He has participated in a panel at the 2017 UCAP conference, the panel at the “Open the Dialogue” Pornography Conference on BYU campus, and spoken at the Annual SASH Conference in 2018.
Rachel Andrews is an officer within Reach 10 and a recent graduate from Brigham Young University. A wife to a husband recovering from compulsive pornography use and a new mom, she is an advocate to eliminate the shame, fear, and silence surrounding those who struggle with pornography and help facilitate a culture of open conversation and communication on pornography and healthy sexuality.