Social Sciences

Older LGBTQ+ adults face persistent inequalities in health and social care, often shaped by historical trauma and systemic exclusion, raising critical questions about how ageing can be supported equitably. This public involvement project explored the narratives and expectations of older LGBTQ+ individuals regarding ageing, health, and social care. Public involvement events were organised and facilitated by an interdisciplinary group of academics between January and April 2025 in Cardiff, Exeter, and Bristol, locations chosen for their rural, coastal, and urban contexts. Creative participatory methods were used to engage LGBTQ+ individuals, aged 50 years old and over, in discussion and sharing narratives. The work found attendees wanting to talk about themes of isolation and invisibility in society, and within LGBTQ+ spaces, the need for inclusive spaces, as well as concerns about discrimination in healthcare settings. Throughout the three events, there was a clear desire among attendees for future research and advocacy, alongside the emergence of a strong community network committed to inclusive and affirming care. These insights can help guide future research projects and initiatives aimed at improving support for LGBTQ+ ageing.

This study analyzes the perspectives of support providers to survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) on the potential links between pornography and the sexual abuse of children. Drawing from fifty interviews, eight focus group discussions, and post-interview surveys with frontline child advocacy support professionals from various backgrounds and settings, each with at least five years of experience in the field, this paper presents a conceptual model that situates pornography and CSA within interconnected “zones of violence” across digital, institutional, and community environments. Participants identified overlapping risk factors that can heighten pornography exposure and CSA vulnerability, including strained guardian–child relationships, inadequate supervision and digital literacy, socioeconomic precarity, limited access to services, and restrictive or patriarchal sexual norms. They described mediating processes linking pornography to abuse—social modeling, normalization of coercive and violent sexual scripts, grooming, power/threat dynamics (including sextortion and blackmail), and the production and circulation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Respondents perceived pornography as pervasive in young people’s lives, reported that it contributes to perceived shifts in CSA patterns, and emphasized the absence of best practices. They advocated comprehensive, digitally literate sex education; routine, developmentally appropriate screening; trauma-informed responses that avoid labeling and criminalizing children; and coordinated, multidisciplinary reforms.

News coverage provides an influential platform for sharing and amplifying women’s perspectives and expertise, yet women remain significantly underrepresented as sources in the news. Despite increasing awareness of the gender imbalance in news, progress has been minimal. While quantitative research has documented the dominance of male voices, there is limited understanding of the factors that may encourage or deter women from engaging with the media. The study outlined here addresses this gap by analysing qualitative survey responses from 157 Australian women experts and spokespeople. Guided by the research question, “What are women sources seeking from their initial interactions with journalists?”, this research highlights the importance of journalists’ communication in addressing women’s reservations about media engagement. By centering women’s perspectives, this study offers practical recommendations to promote gender equity in news coverage and enhance the diversity of voices represented.