12/08/2025
Our amazing colleagues at RISE: Respect Inspire Support Empower!
RISE at parliament.
RISE recently attended the launch of two new important initiatives designed to prevent harm online.
RISE’s development coordinator Aaron Agnew and impact management lead Leigh Manson travelled to parliament to learn more about the resources and how RISE might use them in our work. (Don't they look at home!)
The first tool, Headspace Invaders, is an online interactive platform aimed at keeping Kiwi kids aged 12-16 safe online. It’s designed to help them recognise mis and disinformation, identity-based harm, online extremism and educate rangatahi (youth) how they might be harmed online. Rangatahi helped design the programme to ensure it is relevant, respectful and useful.
Aaron says Headspace Invaders helps our rangatahi to be aware of manipulation, harm, and coercive behaviours in an online environment.
“These are behaviours that are readily seen in abusive relationships in the real world and so equipping our youth to recognise signs both online and offline is very helpful.”
Aaron says the youth friendly initiative also has guides for educators and parents. The guides encourage conversations about healthy relationships and what to do when something doesn’t quite feel right.
You can see it here: https://www.headspaceinvaders.nz/
The second initiative launched was a suite of eLearning modules - Positive Online Interventions from Explore. The teachings are designed to reduce the risk of radicalisation by equipping frontline professionals with the tools to engage early, safely, and effectively. The modules cover a range of topics from recognising the early risks and indicators of radicalisation, understanding the journey towards violence, tools for early intervention and professional practice, and education about referrals and pathways.
Leigh says “building the capability of family violence services and other frontline supports to respond to the risks of radicalisation - whether as a cause or consequence of harm - is essential to a strong, secondary prevention network. Explore’s new online learning modules are a valuable step in strengthening this response.”
Leigh and Aaron say both Explore's training modules and the Headspace invaders are an important part of RISE’s ongoing work and training particularly in the online space.
