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.

No it’s not. Sex abusers have always entered professions where they can get in a position of trust and more easily access children - scout leaders, teachers, religious leaders etc.

Paedophiles are drawn to jobs that allow them access to children. I don’t know why you find that so hard to believe. It doesn’t mean that every man who wants to work in nurseries is a paedophile obviously but it does attract them.

https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2025/07/childcare-sexual-abuse-men-children-risk

“While it is an uncomfortable fact to confront, research shows men with a sexual interest in children are disproportionately more likely to work with children, including in early education and care. Recent data show that one in 20 men in the Australian community are motivated offenders (individuals who reported both sexual interest in and offending against children). However, they are almost three times more likely to work with children compared to other men.”

So, the statistics say that majority of sexual abuse in nurseries is by men. Majority of physical harm and murder is by women.

So we ban both……

Banning anything based on a non causal link is generally fruitless. Whereas putting in place situational controls that reduce the likelihood does actually make a difference.

I think you should perhaps sit this discussion out …

I think that most people remember it exactly because it is so comparatively rare for women to sexually abuse children. There have been so many male nursery workers who have done the same that I’d struggle to recall any of their names.

There was a male worker at the Gdcs’ nursery. He was brilliant, played the guitar and sang to them, as well as other stuff.

Though having said that, I don’t really think it’s a ‘normal’ job for young males to want to do. OTOH male primary teachers may teach very young children, a Gds’ teacher in Y1 or 2 was lovely.

I said

I do assume every man is a potential abuser around my kids, so I safeguard them appropriately rather than simply trust and hope they are not.

That's me thinking perfectly straight.

You replied
Nope, that's you being unreasonably prejudiced and paranoid.Important difference.You called me prejudiced and paranoid for safeguarding my children.How have I twisted anything?

Have you somehow missed the widely reported cases of women abusing small children and babies in nursery settings?

Saying you only want to talk about sexual abuse is ridiculous. Children should be safe from all abuse, unless you think physical and emotional abuse are fine as long as the perpetrator wasn't aroused by their actions?

Should we also ban women from working in nurseries because we've seen some are abusive and close them all down?

I would love to see changes in the childcare industry. Higher levels of training, staff never being alone with a child etc. (though I doubt this will happen given how underfunded nurseries are). I wouldn't welcome any changes that reinforced childcare as women's work though.

I’m not sure you are responding to the point I made, which is that pre school age children and particularly pre verbal children carry particular vulnerabilities around abuse. I agree that sports coaching is a highly vulnerable area for abuse and robust safeguarding measures are required, particularly for males.

As for your comment about Muslim men - I’d be interested in the statistics as to whether Muslim men sexually offend in greater numbers than white men. I don’t believe that is the case in our country but I haven’t researched it and would be happy to discuss. Ultimately as per my previous comments, I see that as a reprehensible male crime and we need to talk about the male criminality problem, rather than a race issue here.

I think any man wanting to work with children should be monitored closely and practices put in place so that they are never alone with a child.

Children in nurseries (vs hospital patients, school children etc) are particularly vulnerable due to the intimate care, lack of verbal skills, and young age meaning they are less likely to understand and be able to report inappropriate behaviour.

I, an adult woman am offered a chaperone when I have a smear with a female medic. Why don’t tiny vulnerable nursery children get this treatment?

Yes women also abuse, yes not all men are predators. However, predators are attracted to these roles and we know men offend a far far greater rates than women.

So many people saying they know a male nursery worker and he‘s wonderful. I know a family where a child suffered SA from an adult outside of the family but in a position of trust and they all thought he was wonderful too. Until he wasn’t.

Exactly, well said.
There's some amazing men carers, early years teachers and nursery workers out there.
Makes me feel sick how some would rather go back to the days of "women in the kitchen and caring roles only" and have the men doing "the man jobs" only whatever the hell they are 🙄
You get abusers of both sexes.

I mean if you don’t trust any man around your young children you better ban every male in your family from ever seeing them! Children are far more likely to be abused by a family member or friend, especially when you add step parents into the mix. Better ban step fathers too.

Disgusting attitude to automatically assume that a man must be a predator/danger and need monitoring closely just because he wants to work with children.

Ill keep my thoughts to myself about what should happen to that beast and any other beast who put their disgusting hands on kids.

However let’s be mindful it’s not just men who abuse kids you’ve only got to look at Vanessa George, haven’t you.

Why is it "not normal?"
What is a "normal man job?"
🙄

Those of you who say I know a male nursery workers and he is great. I’m sure the nursery thought that about this man or otherwise they wouldn’t have hired him. Do you think these men walk around showing obvious signs of being sex offenders? You don’t know what happens behind closed doors.

Have you somehow missed the widely reported cases of women abusing small children and babies in nursery settings?

I haven’t. Why don’t you start a thread on that?

Saying you only want to talk about sexual abuse is ridiculous.

Why is it ridiculous?

unless you think physical and emotional abuse are fine as long as the perpetrator wasn't aroused by their actions?

Happy to be called out for this if you have a link of where I have suggested this? Please post it.

No doubt you'll get some apologist for her on here before long (women only do stuff like that because the men manipulated them into doing it blah blah, seen it sadly all too often on here)
🤢😡

I think if they paid nursery workers appropriately there would be a better pool of people to choose from

I just knew someone would say that!
Most MNers will understand perfectly well what I meant.

I am a childminder and most of the men in this profession are assistants or co-childminders who are husbands and partners of female childminders. Obviously it’s different to a nursery, but it’s seen by parents as a pro not a con to have a male worker.

I would like to know the actual percentage of male nursery workers who commit crimes against children, and whether it is e.g. 5% of women and 7% of men, or 5% of women and 60% of men.

I don’t know how to prevent dangerous people entering the industry other than maybe psychometric testing. But I do know that it’s too easy to get a job in a nursery. They are crying out for staff due to government funding, and you can do an online course from the government to be level 2 qualified and work in a nursery without having ever interacted with a child. I have only read the article linked but if this worker was newly qualified he shouldn’t have been left alone for long enough to be able to SA children

Why is it normal to want to be a primary or secondary teacher as a man but not an early years worker? I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean about it not being normal.

You're the one who said it, not me. Why not just say what you mean instead of vaguely waving your hands and saying "Most MNers will know what I'm on about?"
Why is it not normal for a man to want to do a caring job?
Also curious as to what constitutes a "normal man" job.

Not just me then, expects us all to just mind read 😁
Least you'd think people would spit out what they actually mean