Ban male nursery workers?

[BluntPlumHam]

I came across this article which has left me quite sick.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cze665j2y51o.amp

Said 18 year old was newly qualified nursery worker who’d SA’d and raped 3 year olds.

Nurseries are desperate for workers and I have noticed through friends and families that there is now an increasing number of men entering the profession.

Men traditionally haven’t performed this role and I often find it difficult to envisage what attracts a male to this profession to begin with when we have so many instances of men who run away from childcare responsibilities.

Although men entering the profession can be a positive outcome the other very concerning outcome and on the potential rise is this.

Sex offenders will target this profession no doubt as it gives them easy access to children.

men are significantly more likely than women to sexually assault children.
Official statistics consistently show that the vast majority of individuals convicted of, or reported for, child sexual abuse (CSA) are male. For example:

• In the year ending March 2019, the Crime Survey for England and Wales found that 92% of adults who reported experiencing CSA said the perpetrator was male only.
• In 2022/23, almost 99% of individuals convicted of child sexual abuse offences in the UK were men.
• Reports to the Australian Royal Commission by victims and survivors of institutional abuse revealed that 93.9% of the abuse was perpetrated by an adult man.

So just a blanket ban on them all together ?

It isn’t my personal opinion but I do think we ought to have measures in place to make nurseries more secure and safer. This thread is to invite discussion.

Also, kudos to those brave little 3 year olds who had the courage to tell their parents because they’ve saved a lot of potential victims in the future. My thoughts and wishes for a life time of healing for them and theirs.

I don't think that is practically possible in most nurseries. I've worked in 8+ nurseries, and a couple of primary schools, as permanent staff and bank and have been alone with children regularly in all of them. As have male staff members.

It shouldn't be possible and this is something that should be focused on rather than focusing on banning male staff which simply isn't going to happen.

Staffing issues in early years needs to be addressed urgently and should be a priority to keep children safe at nursery.

This makes me so so sad reading this. My brother is looking to get into teaching, he’s brilliant with children, patient, fun, caring, but firm in terms of pointing out what isn’t acceptable behaviour. He is great with our family and they love him so much, listen to what he says and actually do it (unlike when I tell them to tidy up).

He’s applied for nursery work as he doesn’t have a degree, but wants to start an apprenticeship and nurseries are better set up for that where he lives. It’s so sad that children could miss out on having someone like that caring for them just because of prejudice. There are so many children where he lives that don’t have a male role model in their lives.

OP, would you say the same about male nurses, male paediatricians, male teachers? Should men be banned from all jobs that involve contact with children?

YABU.

You would need so many more staff, and probably lots of nursery building changed completely to ensure no one was ever left alone with a child.
It's currently the norm. Toileting, nappy changes, sleep times, lunch breaks.

Yabu , when your dear child ( if you have a son ) says he wants to work with children are you going to tell him no , or will you know he’s not a predator? Most all sexual abuse is within the family . I think you need to look inside yourself because there is risk involved everywhere . This whole thread has made me feel quite sad

Totally agree. Men are nit wired for childcare. So ANY man working with young children is a possible pedo.
I think only people who have not been abused or never had anyone close going through it- would think otherwise.
And those peoples children are at risk.

At what point do we stop caring about how men may feel because they are being 'discriminated against' and start caring about the children being sexually abused and raped?

My priority is my children, not some random nursery worker because his Mum/sister/friend says he is lovely.

They may miss out on having a man in the nursery, and have some lovely women instead, but surely that's worth it to minimise the risk of rape and sexual assault to next to nothing?

I'm sick of society pandering to men and their needs and whims over and above women and children and their safety.

I'd aim for not leaving staff alone with a child in more private, quiet areas such as toilets as a minimum if the toilet areas are separate to the main nursery area. It would at least reduce the risk.

At my DC's nursery, small toilet cubicles are in the corner of the main nursery area of the preschooler room. With doors so the children still have some privacy but still also somewhat in the open for safeguarding reasons.

I don’t know what the answer is, but it’s not just a UK issue. I have family caught up in the Australian childcare abuse and it’s a nightmare for them.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgp1x028r9o.amp

YABU

Unfortunately, I doubt the tax payer would be willing to fund it.

What percentage of female nursery workers commit offences compared to male ones I wonder?

You are probably correct. Which means children's safety isn't as important to the general public as we may have thought.

Statistically less as there are far more women, surely?

A male started working at my daughters nursery and I know a lot of parents didn’t like it and complained, the female nursery workers reassured one of the women I know who complained by telling her off the record that they didn’t like it either and they never left him alone with the children.

Don't be so ridiculous

The majority of nursery workers are female. If we are counting all abuse, not only sexual abuse then It's going to be female nursery workers due to how many more of them they are and a false sense of security that women are automatically safe around children which just isn't true.

I've already said I'm not convinced a ban would be the answer, much prefer better safe guarding. That said I'm sick to the back teeth of all the NAMALTing and "women do it too" that goes on. Sex crimes and violent crime are vastly more likely to be committed by men than women. That's a fact. If men want to be able to work in caring roles without extra scrutiny they should get their damned house in order.

Yes, that's why the percentage is worth looking at.
If 1% of female workers abuse children and 10% of male workers do for example.

When the little baby was murdered a while ago at a nursery, they found the worker had regularly been left alone with up to 16 babies. I believe the baby's parents are campaigning to improve nursery safety.

The OP said that the majority are men, and that is true.