Mixed gender Swimming Pool Changing Rooms

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So why are all swimming pools now built with mixed space changing rooms?

I feel uncomfortable changing in them even though they have separate cubicles. They are not enclosed and a walk from the showers.

Whilst taking my DC to swimming lessons I am pretty certain a man was filming a child in the shower and I made a complaint. They didn't seem too concerned.

WTF is going on?

I've never once encountered mixed changing rooms. And surely if you saw what you say you saw and the staff did not help...you'd call the police! Did you not think of that?

I've never seen anywhere that isn't mixed. When my DD was learning to swim there was a man who would always get showered with the kids then just sit at the side of the pool watching then walk back to the showers afterwards. Lots of people complained and were told he was aloud to be there and that they suspect he had SN. One day he wasn't there anymore so not sure what happened to him but it was very odd behaviour.

Other than that never really thought about shared changing rooms as I've never known them any other way.

Do you mean mixed family dressing rooms? Our pool has that...and then it also has male and female.

Our pool has these and I have never had a problem. They have four banks of open showers, two closed showers for everyone then 1 closed shower within the ladies (and i assume the same in the mens). There are then loads of mixed cubicles, singles, family and a could of disabled.

It has been like this for years and years and i have never encountered a problem or felt unsafe in anyway. Centre parcs is much the same.

I've used a unisex swimming changing village for years,never had any problem. There are two completely enclosed rooms for school children or clubs to use, male/female toilets, about 6 locking shower cubicles where you can get dressed if you want, and a variety of cubicles.
I believe they changed them to unisex for families to use. Personally I prefer them to the old single sex changing rooms. I would never use a communal changing room.

I believe a main reason is because fathers take young children swimming. Ours is separate sex. Dads have to take small children into the men's to change.

Our local pool has mixed changing rooms and we have never had a problem (been going there for 19 years). I'm surprised at the relaxed attitude of staff regarding filming in the shower. I know our pool is very hot on phones/filming in the observation areas, so no way would any kind of filming be allowed in the changing areas.

Our local pool has mixed sex changing area. Never had a problem. It's lockable cubicles so not really sure what might happen? It's been like this for years.

A colleague was subjected to voyerism under the side of a cubicle in a mixed changing pool.

Design has to be very carefully done.

Went to court and he was prosecuted. Same pool has been an issue for us as we take pupils with Sen swimming there. Been a few men acting suspiciously and pool staff have had to be involved in managing it.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women/sexual-assault-unisex-changing-rooms-sunday-times-women-risk-a8519086.html

courtnewsuk.co.uk/?s=Voyeurism

If you really can’t think what the issues with mixed-sex changing rooms could be, let these links guide you. Even floor-to-ceiling cubicles are risky as there is less chance of others hearing a struggle going on in one, but how many leisure centres have floor-to-ceiling cubicles rather than the usual ones with gaps above and below (which are very handy for the voyeurs)? Some of these hidden camera films end up on porn websites.

Note the frequency of the voyeurism convictions, the wide range and respectability of the professions of the offenders and their sex. Can you find a female one?

Just because it’s never happened to you doesn’t mean it never will and if it never happens to you, it’s happening to someone, and these people and potential victims are worthy of consideration. You may wish to take the risks because they suit your family circumstances and you feel the risks are low because you are there to protect your children but the answer is surely to have mixed facilities in addition to single-sex ones, not instead of them?

I think people saying I never had a problem are missing the bigger picture

Around half of changing rooms in uk are mixed sex. About 90% of sexual assaults in changing rooms occur in those mixed sex facilities.

I think that means that for every person assaulted in the separated facilities there are just 9:( surely I must have that wrong ? ) being assaulted in the mixed sex version.

So you might be alright, but what would you say to the 9 ? Of whom 8 would have been safe if the facilities were single sex?

There have been several incidents of filming over and under cubicles at the one in Todmorden, Calderdale.

These threads are always peppered with “I don’t see the problem” comments from people who seem to think their experience gives them the right to consent to the erosion of single-sex spaces for all other women.

It doesn’t.

I suppose I am a little anxious as when I was 19 I was using a female toilet in a pub and after pulling my trousers up. I looked up and a man was peering over the top.

Unless you have had this experience then it is difficult to understand how frightening it is.

Our local mixed sex changing village has had extra panels added to the bottom and top of the walls and doors as well as bars over the roof of the cubicle to hinder filming. Both sets of showers are poolside so visible to all and there seems to be a cleaner permanently wandering around the cubicles as well.

I prefer the mixed sex cubicles because they work for us as a family and because there's no way I'd want to be in a communal changing room anymore - but I remember before they put the modesty panels around the cubicles thinking how easy it would be for your average pervert.

We have only mixed sex changing areas in our leisure centres, with cubicles. DC from age 8 can change and swim unsupervised by an accompanying adult.

I would much prefer single sex facilities. It can be very quiet if swimming in the evenings, and I would feel safer and worry about my DC less when they swim.

There were voyeuristic incidents by a young man against girls at one centre, reported in our local paper.

So to add whenever I go in female toilets I always use a cubicle away from other locked cubicles if I can.

It puts me off going swimming at busy times and because our swimming pool is new it is incredibly busy.

I think it depends on how it is set up. Ours is all open plan poolside and the showers are open plan as well and visible from the pool. I’ve always been completely comfortable. I wouldn’t be comfortable if it were a set up where the changing rooms and showers were shut off from the pool, if that makes sense.

It's a bit awkward that you still have to towel dance in a cubicle bit I can see the advantages for some family groups who swim together.

It really does depend on the design. The ones we use are very open to the pool itself so anyone crouching to look under or climbing to see over would be instantly visible to the lifeguards and all the other swimmers.
And they’re very strict about keeping costumes on in the shower even for little kids.
On the whole I find being open to the poolside less scary than away in a private space.

Our new one is mixed sex the doors dont go to the floor and there is a handy gap over the top plus bars across the top for you to pull yourself up on we also have a very visible cleaner and staff members but I keep thinking what if it was quiet

Also the pub incident was in the middle of the day in a respectable pub!

A colleague was subjected to voyerism under the side of a cubicle in a mixed changing pool

This also happened to a friend of mine

Teenage boys looking over the top of the cubicle or throwing things over the top was also an issue for a while

Oh really should say that there were small men and women only changing areas as well

But they had no changing cubicles or curtains so were completely open