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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to think mixed-sex changing facilities should be limited?

63 replies

meinolini · 15/09/2026 16:43

AIBU - I read that this article and, whilst I am not surprised, I think we really must halt this movement to gender neutral facilities.

It is really disconcerting that all the crimes were in mixed sex facilities.

"Almost 100 sex crimes including rape and assaults have been recorded at swimming pools and leisure centres in Scotland, figures reveal."

“Freedom of information (FOI) reports from police involving 91 of the country’s 340 swimming pools revealed 51 incidents of voyeurism and 30 sexual offences against young girls, with 11 involving youngsters under the age of 13.
One rape was recorded, at Kirkcaldy Leisure Centre.
In addition, 25 sexual assaults and 21 other sexual offences were reported, and in total there were 81 female victims. All offences were committed between 2023 and 2025.
Incidents occurred at venues with shared facilities. No crimes were recorded at centres with single-sex facilities but incidents were reported at pools which had mixed-sex “village-style” shared showers and changing facilities.
Mary Howden, of WRN Scotland, warned local authorities must provide “safe, risk-free spaces”.
She said: “Our painstaking FOI research gave us a harrowing insight into a pattern of deeply concerning sexual offending at swimming pools and leisure centres across every part of the country.
“The overall number of offences of almost 100 is truly shocking, but what was really disturbing was the high number of offences involving young girls aged between 13 and 16. While there was a proliferation of sex offences at pools with shared shower and changing, we didn’t find a ­single offence at centres offering ­single-sex facilities."

YABU = Mixed sex changing rooms are fine
YANBU = Mixed sex facilities should be limited

OP posts:
dizzydizzydizzy · 16/09/2026 16:17

AdeleRochester · 16/09/2026 15:28

The info is in the OP. All 91 facilities where the incidents occurred were mixed sex.

91 out of 340 swimming pools, nearly 100 incidents at the 91 pools. No incidents were recorded at single sex facilities.

The report is here:

https://www.sundaypost.com/fp/changing-areas-have-to-change-call-for-action-as-stats-reveal-close-to-100-sex-crimes-at-leisure-centres/

Edited
Show quote history

Ah well it is not very clear, but I have reread it and toward the end it says:

“Howden said: “Our research covered less than a third of Scotland’s local authority-run pools….”’. So the figure of 91 is the number of leisure centres (out of a total of 340) that they researched. We do not know how many of those have single sex changing, where the crimes occured, how busy the leisure centres
are, what the customer profile is like etc etc.

in short not enough information to make an informed opinion. It could be as the article is trying to make us believe that sexual offences in all mixed sex pool changing rooms are a real risk ….. or it could be that in certain troubled places there are a high level of these crimes and they also occur in leisure centres, or it could obviously be something else. Without proper context this data is not that useful.

Original poster
meinolini · 16/09/2026 16:32

I think it’s worth understanding that many of the offences were to do with camera use into cubicle, exposing themselves in the mixed sex room or peeping into the cubicles or showers.

I think this speaks for itself in that the act of changing in a cubicle in a mixed sex space gives rise to this issue.

Yes, a man can hide in a cubicle of the opposite sex changing room when they are single sex but mixed sex legitimises the men being in there. The issue is that it makes it easier.

OP posts:
Original poster
meinolini · 16/09/2026 16:34

dizzydizzydizzy · 16/09/2026 16:17

Ah well it is not very clear, but I have reread it and toward the end it says:

“Howden said: “Our research covered less than a third of Scotland’s local authority-run pools….”’. So the figure of 91 is the number of leisure centres (out of a total of 340) that they researched. We do not know how many of those have single sex changing, where the crimes occured, how busy the leisure centres
are, what the customer profile is like etc etc.

in short not enough information to make an informed opinion. It could be as the article is trying to make us believe that sexual offences in all mixed sex pool changing rooms are a real risk ….. or it could be that in certain troubled places there are a high level of these crimes and they also occur in leisure centres, or it could obviously be something else. Without proper context this data is not that useful.

Show quote history

I do agree that it would be more useful data if it showed how many pools were mixed sex, however, the nature of the offences rely on the men having access to a mixed sex changing room.

OP posts:
Snorlaxo · 16/09/2026 16:44

Did the report mention boys? Are they “safer” in mixed changing facilities or the men’s?

This is not a what about the men question btw, it’s about children being victims of sex crimes.

Original poster
meinolini · 16/09/2026 16:46

Example
A mother in Scotland has criticised gender-neutral toilets for enabling boys to obtain hundreds of indecent videos of girls.
The mother’s daughter, who attends a high school in Dundee, contacted the police after she found a hidden camera in a toilet roll holder. A 15-year-old boy has now been charged in connection with the crime.

It’s the same thing, camera use in a girls space, indecent images.

Yes, they could have gone in anyway sneakily but mixed sex changing and toilets legitimises men being there and give opportunity that otherwise wouldn’t be available

OP posts:
Homealonelez · 16/09/2026 17:07

I’m stunned by this topic how can anyone think single sex changing facilities are ok they mad as a man to wouldn’t feel comfortable and I should think it’s worse for you ladies I don’t blame you for not wanting to go

dizzydizzydizzy · 16/09/2026 17:19

meinolini · 16/09/2026 16:34

I do agree that it would be more useful data if it showed how many pools were mixed sex, however, the nature of the offences rely on the men having access to a mixed sex changing room.

Show quote history

no…. sexual assaults and rapes can happen almost anywhere, not just in changing rooms. As a former leisure centre employee, I know that the average leisure centre has all
sorts of secluded and quiet corners. In fact, in the one I worked in, I think it would be far more likely for one of these crimes to go undetected in an unused sports space or cupboard rather than the constantly busy changing room. The missing context in the article is not just a ‘nice to have’ it is misleading without it.

Original poster
meinolini · 16/09/2026 17:44

dizzydizzydizzy · 16/09/2026 17:19

no…. sexual assaults and rapes can happen almost anywhere, not just in changing rooms. As a former leisure centre employee, I know that the average leisure centre has all
sorts of secluded and quiet corners. In fact, in the one I worked in, I think it would be far more likely for one of these crimes to go undetected in an unused sports space or cupboard rather than the constantly busy changing room. The missing context in the article is not just a ‘nice to have’ it is misleading without it.

Show quote history

Why do we stop staff in primary school’s using the kids toilets?
Why do we stop visitors using the kids toilets in schools?
Why does the NHS strive to have male and female wards?

It’s called safeguarding.

I think you have confused safeguarding and minimising risk with stopping something altogether.

OP posts:
cherryicecreamisnice · 16/09/2026 17:44

Big fucking surprise

Original poster
meinolini · 16/09/2026 17:46

dizzydizzydizzy · 16/09/2026 17:19

no…. sexual assaults and rapes can happen almost anywhere, not just in changing rooms. As a former leisure centre employee, I know that the average leisure centre has all
sorts of secluded and quiet corners. In fact, in the one I worked in, I think it would be far more likely for one of these crimes to go undetected in an unused sports space or cupboard rather than the constantly busy changing room. The missing context in the article is not just a ‘nice to have’ it is misleading without it.

Show quote history

It’s not misleading to show the type of sexual offences.

OP posts:
Original poster
meinolini · 16/09/2026 17:47

@dizzydizzydizzy

Do you lock your front door?

OP posts:
dizzydizzydizzy · 16/09/2026 18:46

meinolini · 16/09/2026 17:46

It’s not misleading to show the type of sexual offences.

Show quote history

I did not say that. I said the data needs context otherwise you can make it ‘prove’
anything you want it to prove.

All we know from this article is that there have been around 100 sex offences in some leisure centres that have single sex changing rooms somewhere in Scotland between 2023 and 2025. The article announces there were none of these crimes in leisure centres with single sex changing but does not tell us how many of these were included in their sample of 91. 0? 1? 10? 45? 80? Knowlng this number totally changes the slant of the story. This is not the only bit of context it should have included to make the article informative rather than inflammatory. I have mentioned several in my PPs.

Read the below paper - it explains that without
context you make assumptions and see whatever you want to see in data. This is how it starts:

“Context is vital in interpreting any statistic. It is highly unlikely that you can
conclude anything meaningful from a single statistic without any background
or context.
Without context, an author can put their ‘spin’ on a statistic, for example, by
claiming it is particularly big or small, high or low, without answering the
question, compared to what?”

This is the start of page 6 of the document linked below.

https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN04446/SN04446.pdf

Hoardasurass · 17/09/2026 12:53

Homealonelez · 16/09/2026 17:07

I’m stunned by this topic how can anyone think single sex changing facilities are ok they mad as a man to wouldn’t feel comfortable and I should think it’s worse for you ladies I don’t blame you for not wanting to go

Why would single sex facilities be a problem?
Oh and btw we want our single sex spaces back its why we went all the way to the supreme court to define woman as a sex class not a gender identity

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