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Deeply concerned about Child Safety in Bristol

1000 replies

MatthewJTaylor · 07/04/2022 21:28

From May 5th to May 8th 2022, the Tobacco Factory Theatres in Bristol is having performances of "The Family Sex Show".
This show is aimed at children 5 years old and up.
The performers involved get naked.
The discussion with the children is on sex, sexuality and sexual pleasure.

I cannot imagine brining a 5 year old child to a theatre where people will to to her/him about sex and show their naked bodies to her/him.

Am I the crazy one?

Sources:
The Family Sex Show website
Listing at The Tobacco Factory Theatres

OP posts:
Thread gallery
18
Clymene · 08/04/2022 20:06

@theDudesmummy - thank you for articulating that so clearly. I don't think adults are very good on the whole at understanding the power of trust between an adult and child. It wasn't until my eldest was about 12 that it struck me that they pretty much believe everything their parents tell them.

EmmaH2022 · 08/04/2022 20:34

[quote MrsOvertonsWindow]The Mail are covering this with quotes from this thread. It's a shame they haven't quoted some of the knowledgable safeguarding posts but they do quote one of the company happily trilling about this being suitable for 5 year olds Hmm

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10700795/Fury-theatre-company-stages-naked-exploring-sexuality-sexual-pleasure-queerness.html[/quote]
Thanks for letting us know, glad the Mail have done that.

Pluvia · 08/04/2022 20:50

@Qazwsxefv

Agree there needs to be a balance between some of the crazy boundary breaking stuff in this show and some of the reluctantance to even name body parts.

One thing that is not considered enough in these discussions is the changing age of puberty - 200 years ago girls had their first period at 16 on average, now it’s 12. These discussions are having to take place earlier because biology has changed (although emotional maturity hasn’t ). Pre pubertal childhood has shrunk by four years since the time of Jane Austen. children seemed to be children longer in the past because biologically they were. Now they are having the physical changes much younger (and are less emotionally ready)

Are you sure this is accurate? 50 years ago I started my period at 12 and the average age hasn't changed much. My mum (born 1926) started at 12 too. And of course in much of the 19th century the age of consent and marriage for girls was 12, rising to 13 and 14. It looks very much from the 30 minutes of research I've done (I know, extensive!) as if puberty has been static at around 12 for a couple of centuries. I'd be interested to see the research that sets it at 16 on average 200 years ago.
CharlieParley · 08/04/2022 21:03

One thing that is not considered enough in these discussions is the changing age of puberty - 200 years ago girls had their first period at 16 on average, now it’s 12. These discussions are having to take place earlier because biology has changed (although emotional maturity hasn’t ).

This is false. Children start puberty now at the exact same age as they did 2000 and 1000 years ago, between the ages of 10 and 12.

This common but false assumption that puberty keeps happening at ever younger ages derives from an artifact of data collection.

The time period when researchers started collecting data on the onset of menarche happened to coincide with a time period where standards of living were horrendously inimical to children developing normally.

In Austen's time poverty, starvation, malnutrition, hygiene and dangerous levels of land, air and water pollution led to children having such damaged health that their bodies went through puberty abnormally late.

If you look at the archaeological records of skeletons found in London from that era, one in four skeletons of 25 year olds show that they had not yet finished puberty. (Which typically lasts between two and five years, girls finish on average by 14, and boys finish on average by age 15 or 16. If living conditions allow for healthy development.)

The latest research confirms that while the onset of menarche declined drastically in the first half of the 20th century, as living conditions improved, it has been stable now for several decades. It occurs at the normal time for girls (between the ages of 12 and 13 on average).

So, no, children do not start puberty earlier and earlier and therefore there is no need whatsoever to educate children at ever younger ages about sex, sexual pleasure and sexual practices, especially not in ways that normalise the sexualisation of young children as done in this case.

FOJN · 08/04/2022 21:16

CharlieParley

I don't know if you already had that knowledge or had to look it up but I appreciate you taking the time to share it. I appreciate you many informed and we'll constructed posts

Teesht · 08/04/2022 21:44

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Teesht · 08/04/2022 21:45

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Dinosauria · 08/04/2022 21:57

@Teesht

Comment on the Fail article and tell people to look up the glossary of terms!
Thank you to whomever did this
PennyPinkPineapple · 08/04/2022 22:20

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HRTQueen · 08/04/2022 23:13

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littledrummergirl · 08/04/2022 23:46

If it's so appropriate maybe William and Kate should take the kids? Perhaps great granny can go to after all it's suitable for all the family. Hmm

Or maybe not.

Clymene · 09/04/2022 00:32

It's very brave of the theatres to book a performer who hasn't finalised the show or even has a cast.

I'm not surprised the Arts Council are funding it though. In my experience their due diligence is woeful

Deeply concerned about Child Safety in Bristol
FemaleAndLearning · 09/04/2022 00:34

Their grooming is in plain site. They have a section on safeguarding. It says you would be concerned if a 5 year old turned up at school talking about vulva, but then you ask them and they say it's okay I saw it on Family Sex Show. So no further investigate of children showing red flags if they have seen this show?

Deeply concerned about Child Safety in Bristol
FemaleAndLearning · 09/04/2022 00:38

I didn't know what pegging was so looked at the glossary. I got to 'aisle' and thought god what does that mean. Then realised they have mixed in theatre words?
The glossary is very gender woo woo. People with vulvas, people attracted to same gender. Even feminism us described as being for all people. The definition of vaginisus also concerns me. It implies it is a normal bodily reaction, again to make someone feel that it is okay. Compare their definition to NHS.

Deeply concerned about Child Safety in Bristol
Deeply concerned about Child Safety in Bristol
Monitaurus · 09/04/2022 00:43

Pushing boundaries eh? Big red flag right there.

FemaleAndLearning · 09/04/2022 00:50

I had to explain what pornography was to my 7 year old daughter. It was horrible having to tell her that mainly men use it for pleasure. There were red flags she was exhibiting highly sexualised poses. Turns out she had been looking at porn mags in her dad's bathroom during contact.
I immediately stopped contact. I called social services, who said as I have stopped contact that is all. But he took me to court. At mediation he denied it. The mediators were not concerned. CAFCASS did not see my daughter, as they had already spoke to her a year ago so didn't want to intrude! Court said to resume contact. I rang social services again but they said it was up to court. Fast forward several years, my daughter now understands the impact of pornography and feels completely let down by the system. We have had social service involvement recently and this came up and the social services said we could report this to police.
My point is even when there are red flags and services are told it can still be missed.
I always used the correct body language with my kids, I answered all their questions in an age appropriate way. We talked about the pant rule.I reported red flags to no avail. Now my teenage daughter is faced with having to report this as an incident to the police when it should've been reported back then. Grooming is so subtle it doesn't need to be one on one. Societal grooming, even with professionals happens. 'its just porn, it's not harmful' tell that to my traumatised child, who several years.

Flumsnet · 09/04/2022 01:12

@FemaleAndLearning

I didn't know what pegging was so looked at the glossary. I got to 'aisle' and thought god what does that mean. Then realised they have mixed in theatre words? The glossary is very gender woo woo. People with vulvas, people attracted to same gender. Even feminism us described as being for all people. The definition of vaginisus also concerns me. It implies it is a normal bodily reaction, again to make someone feel that it is okay. Compare their definition to NHS.
Thank you for highlighting this! I haven't dared read the glossary but I am so upset that this group of people want to tell our kids this is normal. I feel sick reading it
QuebecBagnet · 09/04/2022 06:16

This has made the daily Mail now. Which is good.

OutingHobby · 09/04/2022 06:21

@QuebecBagnet

This has made the daily Mail now. Which is good.
Yes one of the few times I'm glad the daily mail have picked up a thread!
SolasAnla · 09/04/2022 07:37

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Dinosauria · 09/04/2022 07:37

@FemaleAndLearning

Their grooming is in plain site. They have a section on safeguarding. It says you would be concerned if a 5 year old turned up at school talking about vulva, but then you ask them and they say it's okay I saw it on Family Sex Show. So no further investigate of children showing red flags if they have seen this show?
This is just awful, if someone has a safeguarding concern they need to escalate it, not ask questions and decide for themselves.

Also asking on twitter for someone to devise the show...wtf no educational content then, no safeguarding

WalkerWalking · 09/04/2022 07:57

@Clymene

It's very brave of the theatres to book a performer who hasn't finalised the show or even has a cast.

I'm not surprised the Arts Council are funding it though. In my experience their due diligence is woeful

£550 a week though, plus travel expenses? That's more than a supply teacher earns. I think maybe I do identify as a disabled, working class man.......

(I'm allowed to identify out of being disabled at the weekends though, right?)

AthenaWhite · 09/04/2022 08:13

@FemaleAndLearning

Their grooming is in plain site. They have a section on safeguarding. It says you would be concerned if a 5 year old turned up at school talking about vulva, but then you ask them and they say it's okay I saw it on Family Sex Show. So no further investigate of children showing red flags if they have seen this show?
Shock
Plasmodesmata · 09/04/2022 08:17

The advert for actors doesn't specify "keen to get naked on stage in front of small children". But if you were keen to do that, what a job opportunity for you. Do the performers have a DBS check I wonder?

BrioNotBiro · 09/04/2022 08:21

@TinaYouFatLard

This shit makes me hope we do get nuked soon.
What a terrible thing to say.
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