@itwasntpreeclamsia
It's possible to trust both safeguarding policies and processes AND your own intuition and vigilance. Both of those together are strong and robust, as much as it is ever possible to be in the society in which we live.
I am sorry that some have sadly experienced otherwise. Thank you to the lady who shared her story - that can't have been easy and it has given me much to reflect on. And I'm sad that your responsible adults at the time weren't able to protect them from that, and that one was actually a perpetrator. Also, that your enjoyment of naturism at the time was tainted by the exploitation of the adults around you as you reflect backwards.
I think we have to be reasonable also and assume that there are children/teens who's enjoyment of naturism hasn't been tainted by exploitation as they reflect backwards. I think we need to cautious of using specific cases (especially historic ones where there was less awareness and education around all of the issues we are talking about) and with all their uniqueness and using them to assess naturism as a whole.
Yes, we can read of cases where adults who were naturists were found to have indecent images that they have downloaded from the internet. Any adult from any walk of life who is found to have such issues is dealt with as soon as it is identified. I think there is probably a trail of how safeguarding has come to reflect a growing awareness of such things, especially as the internet has developed. I imagine BN itself has it's own history of safeguarding as it has progressed.
I still think we need to be cautious of making assumptions anywhere, particularly around single men. I thought it was part of awareness raising that children are more likely to be abused/groomed by someone in their family/close family friend. There is still then a misalignment with the continued look at naturism with regards to single people infiltrating naturism from the outskirts. Again, parents are with their children and parents such as myself are aware of looking out for those specific signs of grooming.
Some of those single men videoed outside the Sandcastle were married...
I will reflect on what I am still hearing from those who are questioning my children's comfort and enjoyment of naturism with us as a family.
I can only share the following in regards to this and with regards to those who feel I have conditioned my children - we have had many discussions as a family in relation to the issue of protesters to naturism. I think this is positive - what others think of naturism, why do they think that, what do you think hearing this, the right to peaceful protest in England, what happens when it is not peaceful, how can we respond to those who don't understand something we do, how can we discuss things sensibly. These are brilliant things to talk about within the family.
When we heard there may be protestors, I discussed this with my children and the reasons behind it. I asked them if they still wanted to attend or if it would make them feel uncomfortable. They both said they still wanted to go. Luckily we approached from a different angle so didn't even get near them but I was risk assessing all the way. Had they have been violent and my children looked uncomfortable or changed their mind we would have walked away.
My 10 year old has said - I think these people have their hearts in the right place but theres other children that might need it (protecting) more.
My 12 year old - everybody is talking about the children but no one has asked me.
I think it is important to respect and listen to our children as part of how think about something.
On the back of this, we could decide to cut naturism out of our lives - but what would that teach my children? That those with no experience of naturism know better than what our own experience is telling us? That those who seek to ban something must know better than us? That we should immediately stop what we are doing when people oppose us. I would much rather teach them to discuss and work things though logically, sensitively and carefully.
I have assessed the risks myself as a parent in terms of the naturist events we go to, campsites, clubs, holidays, beaches. I'm comfortable with what we experience, how things are run, and the general atmosphere and ambience and interactions with those we meet. I am not naive to the fact that some adults may try to gain entry for their own deviant purposes. I am as vigilant as I am anywhere when I am with my children. I haven't yet experienced or seen or heard or intuited anything that would lead me to reconsider that not going at all would be 'safer'. And I will continue to monitor that, as ever, and in the scope of all we do as a family.
Someone mentioned willingness - I am very willing to talk about naturism. I think the fact that it isn't talked about (albeit understandably) is why we have part of the issue we now do - there is still clear misunderstanding around it.