AIBU or is this a MAJOR safeguarding issue?

[Whatthefudgeisthis]

NC for this,

I’ve been absolutely stunned at the ignorance shown by the organisers with this one! A naturist night at the water park 😱 this place is designed for kids entertainment, it’s basically loads of water slides a wave pool and play area etc
Who in their right mind would take a child to such an event. Obviously I’m not shooting down naturists, each to their own, but this is an event that ANYONE can attend. Known paedophiles have attended these events, with one saying that he can’t even swim. What the actual fuck is going on? Who thought this one up?
If adults want to swim naked that’s their call, but why open the event to children too?

I’m pretty sure I’m not the one missing the blindingly obvious here, but I’m so amazed at the stupidity I had to share and maybe raise some awareness.

www.stokesentinel.co.uk/whats-on/family-nude-swimming-session-coming-2589946

These events are being held across the country, so there’s possibly one near you.

There have been children naturists for yonks and again, the same point I made above, there have been all sorts of unwise attitudes towards children and childhood for yonks. Many we are just wising up to now. Just because you know one family who were fine, who you think were fine, from the outside, does not lead to the conclusion that there are no issues here to consider.

Who should be embarrassed here, exactly? You don't think it is worth discussing this?

Suddenly understanding why child abuse is so common when people are so bloody blasé about these things. FFS.

Sinkgirl, you’re making a huge amount of assumptions. But I don’t think you’re open to understanding naturism and what it actually is about.

That child sexual predators might use nudity to groom a child isn't the point. A child sexual predator might use their authority as a football coach or priest or whatever but are we going to ban football or religion?

Suddenly understanding why child abuse is so common when people are so bloody blasé about these things. FFS

No,..It's so common because paedophiles and abusers exist.
Most abuse is in the home or by a known person.
Perhaps people are too stupid to see what's under their nose because they are worrying about strangers at a naturist event.

Funny how things change. I grew up close to a beach where nudity was allowed (as well as being clothed) and I was allowed to go alone or with a friend. I wasn't allowed to join scouting because my mum believed that it was run by pedofiles to get access to children and abuse them on camping trips...

Why do you believe that children cannot consent?

Now, where have I heard that before ...

I think this is totally inappropriate.

Haven’t read all the thread but a few points to those who say there’s no more risk than swimming -

Advertising such an event is highly likely to attract paedophiles to it

It’s said that parents are supervising, but how well? That would depend on the parent.

The risk of people having the opportunity to photograph children and post on the internet or to other
Paedophiles

I generally question why anyone would want to take their children to these events. There is no way on earth I would take my child anywhere near.

I think this is another example of how the country is going to the dogs. All common decency once held by people Is gone—and it really shows. It’s totally gross.

What's this crap about allowing single men?

Paedophiles can be female.
Paedophiles can be dads.
Paedophiles can be mums.
Paedophiles can be aunts, uncles, respectable, unemployed, a CEO, your neighbour, your friend ..........

A paedophile might be swimming in your pool every day.

Jux

Yes paedophiles can be anyone, but what’s the point in hosting events that will appeal to them and making it open to children?

"You said normalising nudity is putting children at risk of grooming."

Again, where have I associated nudity with sex?

Be careful now...

Children should not be participating in this.

Viewing nude children online is an offence. Paedophiles need not bother now, they could just tag along to one of these events instead.

"That child sexual predators might use nudity to groom a child isn't the point. A child sexual predator might use their authority as a football coach or priest or whatever but are we going to ban football or religion?"

On a thread about a naturist event open to anyone and children being drawn into the naturist lifestyle when they don't have a choice really, it is literally the actual point

Unless football coaches or priests are naked?

Sinkgirl, you’re making a huge amount of assumptions. But I don’t think you’re open to understanding naturism and what it actually is about.

I don’t give a shit what consenting adults want to do in their spare time. I do care what children are subjected to. Did you read the link for the book I posted to earlier? The idea that all the children being taken to an event like this are doing so happily is completely incorrect, sadly.

I was abused. I don’t want other children to be abused. I don’t feel comfortable with things that skew a child’s idea of normal boundaries and I don’t understand what the upside of taking your child to a naked water sliding event is supposed to be, since no one has actually listed any upsides, just been all eye-rolling about the legitimate concerns of others.

Yes, paedophiles exist everywhere. I’m not even saying that this event will be attended by paedophiles. I’m talking about making a child more vulnerable to grooming and therefore abuse.

What “huge assumptions” am I making, based on the comments I’ve actually made? Yes, clearly some people are blind to the risks, as demonstrated by this thread.

Just because there are car crashes every day doesn’t mean it’s a good idea to drink and drive. Just because children are abused doesn’t mean you should do things that make them easier to groom.

That child sexual predators might use nudity to groom a child isn't the point.

Err, it’s exactly the point. Quite literally the point.

Just because a child may be groomed by someone else doesn’t mean you just ignore things that make it easier / more likely.

Hello everyone,

We are a naturist family and we attended the swim on Saturday night, as we do often, as well as other events across the UK (and holidays abroad).

I must express my gratitude to the comments from people with an open mind, and willingness to accept/understand a lifestyle that maybe they haven't come across before or haven't much knowledge about.

And I do understand that people might have initially been shocked or curious about a community they may never have heard of before!

Naturists have one thing in common - we are comfortable with (social) nudity. Any naturist event looks the same as any clothed one, just without the clothes (weather and choice dependent!).

We are a mixed, welcoming, friendly community, so any event like swims are often a great way to catch up with and spend time with our naturist friends (single, couples, families, young people, older people etc etc!) as well as spend time together as a family.

British Naturism works closely with NSPCC and the police to ensure that their policies are thorough and up to date. I have utmost confidence in how they run things. Our children are our responsibility at events and I'm as vigilant as I would be anywhere else.

There are also trained safeguarding officers milling and wandering about discreetly in order to keep an eye out for anything untoward. If there was, it would be dealt with effectively.

I've never felt unsafe for my children, except on Saturday night upon hearing about the protesters - luckily we managed to enter without being accosted or verbally abused (or worse).

It is certainly unsettling to hear and read such anger directed to a group of people, which is mainly coming from a place of misunderstanding or lack of knowledge. For example, the original online article used the term 'family swim' - the swim was always for any age, but families were welcomed to make it clear it wasn't a couples or older people's swim - there are so many events to cater for the wide range of people in the naturist community.

To now find there is a petition to ban my children from something we do together as a family is just unimaginable.

So, thank you for those who have shown support - it really is noted and is a real boost compared to what I have read and seen on social media. Please do ask any questions if you're curious about anything to do with naturism - friends often do and it won't be anything we haven't been asked before!!!

xxx

@Missymoo100
Viewing nude children online is an offence
Link please
And you'd better report every TV programme that reports from a refugee camp then
Or any explorer programme visiting tribal societies

Sink girl,

I think your spot on. This type of event will quite obviously appeal to paedophiles. There is no reason to be taking children to this.

I think this type of stuff is a sign of the absolute moral decay going on in this country.

The fact that people are defending this is quite shocking

We don't ban things because someone with nefarious intent might try to use that to commit a crime. A paedophile might become a football coach in order to get access to and control over children. That doesn't mean children playing football should be banned or is bad. A paedophile might use nudity (according to someone up thread) as one of several tools to groom a child to be more receptive to abuse but that doesn't make nudity bad or mean we should ban children from being naked. A rapist might patrol the streets on a Saturday night looking for lone women who have been drinking. That doesn't mean we should ban women from drinking or going out alone.

Talk in peace

Don’t need a link it’s the law. Viewing nude children online is classes as an indecent image if for the purposes of sexual gratification.
Yet here is an event which would appeal to paedophiles to go along to without the risk of being caught.

Viewing nude children online is an offence. Paedophiles need not bother now, they could just tag along to one of these events instead

Or just become public relations officer for NaturistUk and a chairman of a naturist swimclub like the lovely Brain Taylor.

Here are some of his quotes, they’re creepily similar to what some posters have said on this thread:

Young children love to be naked themselves and seldom even notice the nakedness of others

Remember nudity does not equal pornography

there is not a moral decay. People like you have been in a moral panic for millennia.

Hi Claire, if it is banned (it probably won't though) then I'm sure your family can still go swimming together :)

"We don't ban things because someone with nefarious intent might try to use that to commit a crime. A paedophile might become a football coach in order to get access to and control over children. That doesn't mean children playing football should be banned or is bad. A paedophile might use nudity (according to someone up thread) as one of several tools to groom a child to be more receptive to abuse but that doesn't make nudity bad or mean we should ban children from being naked. A rapist might patrol the streets on a Saturday night looking for lone women who have been drinking. That doesn't mean we should ban women from drinking or going out alone."

Totally agree.

But this thread is about a naturist event open to anyone and children being drawn into the naturist lifestyle when they don't have a choice really.

Waffly-
There absolutely is a moral decay. Its obvious when we stuff like this, among other things, like the knife crime epidemic.
No morality, no values, promotion of all that’s dysfunctional as valid lifestyles- promoted by liberals with sh*t for brains.