the resource project
Suggested podcasts
This podcast list was thoughtfully curated by The Ironwood Project’s Executive Director, Chris Kirby. For each recommendation, Chris has included a brief overview of what you can expect to hear, so you can decide what feels right for you.
Some of these conversations explore difficult or potentially upsetting topics. Please protect your well-being as you listen - especially in the days and weeks following a disclosure. Take breaks, skip an episode or stop listening altogether if something feels like too much. You can always come back to it another time.
Listen here: CBC Podcast - Hunting Warhead
This is always the podcast that I suggest people start with if they are looking for more information and understanding about CSA. Hunting Warhead is a co-production of CBC podcasts and the Norwegian newspaper VG and is an incredibly well-crafted podcast that handles very sensitive material in a way that is careful and considerate while still managing to tell the whole story.
Hunting Warhead explores, amongst other things, some of the darkest places on the internet, the people who exist in those places as well as the people and groups who work to shine a light into those dark places. There are interviews with law enforcement officials, IT specialists, psychologists, offenders and the families of offenders. The interviews with the families may be the most striking point in this podcast as it really illustrates how people can fly under the radar when we aren't paying attention.
The other reason that I suggest this podcast as a place to start is I am generally asked by people who live in Southern Ontario and the main focus, the person at the centre of the investigation, known online as Warhead, lived in Guelph, Ontario at the time of his arrest, and was originally from North Bay. This really helps to put to rest that idea that CSA is a problem that exists elsewhere and not in our backyard.
To be clear, this is a very challenging listen. While it does not go into graphic detail in any way I always suggest that people listen a little bit at a time and that they make sure they are listening in a safe space where they can easily access support.
Listen here: CBC Podcast - The Banned Teacher
The second podcast I often recommend for people looking for more insight into CSA is The Banned Teacher. Now again, there are some parts of this that are hard to hear so please do take care but the good folks at CBC podcasts have done a fantastic job of presenting the subject matter in a clear and concise way that tells the truth without being too hard to stay with.
The Banned Teacher follows Julie Ireton’s earlier CBC investigation, The Band Played On. The two series are now grouped together in some podcast feeds, but they examine different cases: one focuses on abuse of male students and the other on abuse of female students by teachers over several decades.
This podcast focuses primarily on the stories of the survivors and it is incredibly moving. It gives a very clear insight into the reactions of these children when the offences were occurring, and how they struggle with their history later in life.
Sadly it also does a great job of pointing out the systemic flaws that allowed this abuse to happen, and allowed it to continue without punishment.
I would say that this podcast is less graphic in its content than Hunting Warhead but it is by no means any less powerful and like Hunting Warhead, the main characters are all located in Ontario.
Listen here: Disclosed: The Children In The Pictures
This is the third and final podcast that I suggest to people when they ask what they can listen to for more insight and understanding on CSA. As I always say these podcast can be a tough listen, and in my opinion, this one is the most challenging of all three. If you do choose to listen to this one, please take some precautions and maybe listen just a little bit at a time making sure you have some support available if there is anything too upsetting in this one.
All of that being said, this podcast has a lot of important information and insight on the topic. It follows Australian documentary-maker and host Akhim Dev as he investigates the story and reflects on how what he learns affects him personally.
This one also has the most information about the challenges of fighting what is essentially a global phenomenon and what law enforcement agencies around the world are faced with every day.
These podcasts aren't entertaining things to listen to, but as someone who has been doing this work for a while, I firmly believe that if you are a parent or caregiver of a child in today's world, these three podcasts are worth listening to.
Listen here:Healing Comes in Waves — Consent Comes First, Toronto Metropolitan University
Healing Comes in Waves is a survivor-centred podcast hosted by survivor, educator and advocate Farrah Khan and created through Consent Comes First at Toronto Metropolitan University.
The series explores healing after sexual violence through conversations with survivors, advocates and educators. It looks at relationships, identity, family support, justice and recovery while recognizing that there is no single path to healing. Survivors may have very different experiences, needs and ideas about what healing and justice mean to them.
Of particular interest to parents and caregivers is Episode Two: Supporting a Survivor as a Parent, which focuses specifically on what it can mean to support someone you love following sexual violence.
This podcast offers an important perspective for parents and supporters because it centres the voice and autonomy of the survivor. It is a reminder that healing does not depend on a particular response, legal outcome or timeline, and that sometimes one of the most important things we can do is listen to what survivors tell us they need.
Individual episodes worth listening to
Mormon Stories episodes 1640 and 1664
These two episodes explore the history of sexual abuse within the Boy Scouts of America, institutional responses to reports of abuse, the organization's bankruptcy proceedings and the experiences of survivors seeking accountability. The guest, attorney Tim Kosnoff, has represented survivors of childhood sexual abuse in cases involving the Boy Scouts of America.
Boy Scout Abuse and the Mormon Church with Attorney Tim Kosnoff | Ep. 1640
Boy Scouts Bankruptcy and the Mormon Church – An update w/ Tim Kosnoff | Ep. 1664
Other People's Problems (CBC Podcasts)
The episode Andrew: Unlocking memories of childhood sexual abuse follows a real therapy session with clinician Hillary McBride. The episode breaks down the complex psychology of a teenager abused by a trusted adult. It may be particularly helpful for parents trying to understand why memories, feelings and meaning around childhood sexual abuse can emerge or change over time.
Armchair Expert
The May 20, 2026,