Nude Family swim at Stoke Waterworld

I just wanted to add a link to the Naked Yoga and Cuddle Parties thread as sone of the issues in it re grooming, child protection and safeguarding of vulnerable adults are relvant to this thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3587786-Naked-Yoga-and-Cuddle-Parties-Lap-Dancing-Clubs-for-the-Woke

Why would anyone want to risk their children in this way? Nudism for consenting adults only. Children have no power to properly say no whatever discomfort they may feel. Relieved event is cancelled agree a campaign should be set up. Thank you Dark for speaking up for children.

Dark. I don’t know if this will help but as a teenager to have to get my kit off an wander about in front of anybody would. Have hurt my soul.

And my parents would have thought this ok would have fucked my soul

No no no

You were right. I wish you peace and some gin 💪

Good result. I am so glad this event has been cancelled and that future events will be restricted to over 18s.

Reading the article and seeing the pictures of the slides and pools and thinking of innocent little children being told they could go on the slides etc - but only if they took all their clothes off and were naked - made me feel sick.

Dark I’m sorry you experienced this too, but has helped knowing it wasn’t just me, that my feelings were valid, it has got me wondering how any more of us are out there, have been thinking about a support group but for now it’s not for me, I have my DC, young teenagers to think about, I’ve been distracted enough this weekend working through this. @Handsoffisback you have helped more than you know, you were spot on with everything you posted 💐

I’m so glad I shared my story on here, it’s been very cathartic and also I hope has given the child/teenager’s perspective.

I don’t know if I’m feeling strong enough to start an adults-only campaign for naturism in general but I would strongly support it.

Thanks everyone for your kindness, it’s helped me change how I feel about my experiences. Not quite the classic Good Will Hunting “it’s not your fault” as I knew I didn’t cause it, but I now don’t think I was oversensitive or uptight for not being 100% cool with it.

Am off to namechange now!

Seconded Sammy and to posters on this thread

I don’t know what other people have found but for me, when I’ve told people about abuse/bad treatment in childhood (other stuff, not the nudism thing), it’s much more common that they:
Carry on normally as if you didn’t say it
Consider you weird and avoid you
Minimise it or even tell you you must be making it up
Tell you it wasn’t actually wrong (ie gaslighting) some of this group probably have done the behaviour themselves
Tell you not to feel sorry for yourself, other people have it worse

So sorry you've been through this

This response is so common to people who have been abused in cults that, while it used to distress me, I find I can now use it to my advantage

I reallty understand why you don't want posts or the thread deleted

Sometimes the best weapons at our disposal are the words of our oppressors

The denials and gaslighting are there for all to see, which is exactly where they should be

That's good news.

There should not be any kind of legitimising of adults' preferences that ensure naked minors are around adult men taking off their clothes.

Stands to reason.

I've just read through some, not all the posts of dark and bonkers

I need a rest as I am feeling furious on behalf of both of you

I am so sorry that you were put in such an abusive, cult like, situation.

The situations you describe are definitely very cult like in terms of toxic dynamics, denial, gaslighting, limited choices that can leave you feeling complicit in your own abuse ... I will write more when I have read more of the thread

You are not alone. I know this as I have spoken to other women who went through exactly the same thing as children.

It may be that some children within naturist families had happy childhoods and were protected from harm by vigilant parents, but just one child going through what you went through is one child too many.

It is my understanding that naturist environments attract perverts and predators and that they are no place for children.

I wish you all the best with your important petition and I hope that you both find a network of supportive women to help you process what happened and that you both gain some peace, validation and closure

This is great news, thanks for sharing xx

I too believe although have no evidence due to my age at the time but I have been thinking about arguments on here that are so similar to what I remember my parents coming out with. It is indeed cult like. I really hope that the law wakes up and gets the age limit raised so that children cannot be included.

There is a significant liminal area of cults and naturism.

In my experience of naturism, which is limited, there are different "tribes", some are into health and exercise, some are very new age, some are swingers and some are sex cultists.

Naturism is of interest to entryist cults because naturists are from a broad spectum of society, a but like with gay "tribes", you get closeness between ordinary people and extremely privileged, influential people.

Many naturists may be lovely people who enjoy a bit of skinny dipping (I certainly do if I have privacy) but there is an overlapping category of quite dodgy "tribes", some of which consist mainly if very vulnerable people with ill defined personal boundaries and an overly trusting nature.

I don't think naturist places are suitable or safe for children, simply because some parents are too easily duped by charming predators.

I think that nudity has different associations according to cultural and subcultural contexts

I do not necessarily believe that a naturist event is a front for anything sinister

However, I undertand that paedophiles and predators are drawn to such events.

I think it's entirely possible that well meaning, hippy types who genuinely love their children could put their children at serious risk of abuse via this kind of event.

I am very pleased to hear that this has been closed down. The issue of single people being able to attent was a great big red flag.

Glad it's been stopped!