In episode 365 of The Just Checking In Podcast we checked back in with academic Dr Emily Setty.
Emily is currently Associate Professor in Criminology at the University of Surrey. Emily has a particular focus on young people’s online and offline sexual behaviours and the evolving challenges of digital sexual cultures.
We first checked in with Emily in JCIP #210 in November 2023.
In that podcast we talked about her wider academic journey and a whole range of issues she’s passionate about, including: the fear of false allegations young boys have, breaking down the myth of ‘oppressor vs oppressed’ paradigm and how we bridge the divide between young men and young women..
For Emily’s mental health journey, we discussed the sudden death of her father when she was 21 years old and why it was one of several factors which led to her developing an Eating Disorder, which thankfully she overcame.
In Part 2, we discuss the continued work she’s done with men and boys, particularly around the issue of consent.
She is also about to start a new project about how men and boys engage with online content. Emily adopts a mantra of ‘less pathologising, less problematising’.
In addition, Emily is working on a new educational model designed to help all young people and can provide a framework for teachers and educators working with young people.
And finally, Emily is working with a charity about sexual harms online for young boys – both in how they can become victims of it, and what impact does online grooming have on young boys with additional needs or vulnerabilities.
For Emily’s continued mental health journey, she became a mum in October 2025, and we discuss how her life has changed from that moment.
We finish by talking about how she feels about the conversation around motherhood online, particularly given the advocacy of great friend of the pod Freya India and her highlighting of ‘The Femosphere’, which she spoke about first in her landmark book GIRLS. This work was then popularised by the viral piece in the New Statesman, which we also discuss.
As always, #itsokaytovent
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