Nude Family swim at Stoke Waterworld

[VortexofBloggery]

Flagged up by Sammy Woodhouse on Twitter.
mobile.twitter.com/sammywoodhouse1/status/1308822025797013509

Supported by who else but NSPCC.

Adults can buy a single ticket.

To Shut it down, Change petition here:
www.change.org/p/water-world-stop-nude-family-swim-session-for-adults-and-children-of-all-ages-at-water-world?utm_content=cl_sharecopy_24863394_en-GB%3A2&recruiter=1151217419&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=tap_basic_share

Attended by convicted paedophile
www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/4047602.convicted-brierfield-paedophile-member-naturist-club/

Unbelievable.

We have restrictions on adult being permitted in playgrounds without a child - I should think that a place where children are playing naked should have the same restrictions!

@Datun

"We have a robust child and vulnerable adults safeguarding policy - it’s actually rather ignorant of the complainers to assume that we don’t. It was developed in conjunction with the NSPCC and is reviewed annually.

But as long as a paedophile, a known paedophile, registers as an official nudist, he can come in?

A paedophile can go anywhere at all if not known as a paedophile, doesn't have to be nude bathing. I doubt a registered paedophile would even attempt to join something like that.

I doubt a registered paedophile would even attempt to join something like that.

Did you read the third link in the OP?

Apparently he is a registered paedophile and he has joined an event like that. Unless I'm mis-reading it.

Has he breached his conditions, then? It seems pretty likely unless it was an offence that didn't really apply to younger children.

I think the context of this is that there are actually lots of events nudists put on that include the whole family. There are plenty of nudist resorts for example, or nudist hiking trails that are used by whole families but also couples or single people. So why is this being protested specifically?

Seems like an article designed to inflame... we are a naturist family and have been to loads of UK events and the swims. These events are run by the naturist organisation for the naturist community. They are not full of paedophiles...

Waterworld does all kind of special sessions, they do women only sessions (that also get a lot of complains) and teens only sessions.

I haven't been for years, last time I went it was filthy and put me right off. It might have changed since then, its certainly noy cheap

They are not full of paedophiles...

How do you know?

@JulieBindelAteMyHamster

They are not full of paedophiles...

How do you know?

Because I’ve experienced it for many years, and never once had anything raise that type of concern for me.

This is NSPCC's response on twitter
mobile.twitter.com/NSPCC/status/1309099815112933377

I don't particularly want to target you directly SterFran but there's something about the wide-eyed "Oh, but it's all good fun, like nature intended & I've never seen any trouble" that's really concerning to me.

Any place where children and women are naked will be targeted by men who find it sexually arousing. There are some places where we have to be more or less naked - in the bathroom, at the doctors etc. but a naked family swim event is not one of those. For whose benefit is this event? The kids? I doubt it. Adults who like taking their clothes off are prioritising their pleasure over the privacy and safety of children.

Why are the naturist community any different to any other? Paedophiles are in any and all communities. Why would you assume they are not there?

Anyway, this event had a convicted paedophile attend, he joined the naturists group after he served a jail sentence for CSA. Those are the facts. Where did the naturists "safeguarding" go wrong and what are they going to do to make sure it doesn't happen again?

My husband was involved with the prosecution of a paedophile who was also involved with a naturists club.

I mean who'd have thought someone who gets off on seeing naked kids would go to a place where there are naked kids.

I really don't understand parents who take thier DCS to these events, not only because of the risks but also because children cannot consent to seeing an unrelated adult's genitalia.

@JulieBindelAteMyHamster

I don't particularly want to target you directly SterFran but there's something about the wide-eyed "Oh, but it's all good fun, like nature intended & I've never seen any trouble" that's really concerning to me.

Any place where children and women are naked will be targeted by men who find it sexually arousing. There are some places where we have to be more or less naked - in the bathroom, at the doctors etc. but a naked family swim event is not one of those. For whose benefit is this event? The kids? I doubt it. Adults who like taking their clothes off are prioritising their pleasure over the privacy and safety of children.

The event is for the naturist community, of which there are naturist families. Children brought up naturists are comfortable with naturism at home, on holiday, on a beach etc. So, of course, we can’t go to a swim during normal hours and be naturist, so we go when a pool has been privately hired solely for naturists. Since you mention it, as a woman I’ve always felt comfortable and highly respected by all men (and women) in a naturist environment. The whole environment is built on respect and I’ve never met a naturist who hasn’t been...

@JulieBindelAteMyHamster

They are not full of paedophiles...

How do you know?

Are there a lot of reports or incidents coming out of them? That might be an indication.

I tend to think the fact that the parents are with the kids is what makes the main difference in that kind of setting. I don't see it as quite similar to the example in BC where kids and others were invited without the parents. That being said, I do think if I were running such a thing I would only be opening tickets up to members and I'd want some way to keep track of or vet them. Not random people in the public.

I have too real concerns with the thinking behind shutting anything like this down. One is that although I'm not a nudist, I don't think that relegating all nudity to the sexual is a very positive thing, or even very safe in the long term. I don't think that we could or should try and live like it's desexualised entirely - and I think that sending sexual signals in some contexts, like through clothing worn in schools, is a bad idea. But IMO the societies that have the most healthy attitudes to sexuality and the body do have certain contexts where non-sexual nudity is practiced, public baths of some sort being a common one. Our society might be in a better place if we could ramp down some of the overt sexualisation of women in fashion or advertising and in the media, and have some sort of example of non-sexual associations with the naked human body to draw on.

The other is that I am worried about attempts to somehow control the thoughts of any paedophile or other perverts that happen to be around by outlawing or otherwise suppressing behaviours that are otherwise fine or even good. (So, I am not talking about porn, which is in itself bad and as a result of that specific badness encourages certain sexual behaviours.) It's a hopeless task for one thing, you just can't control people's thoughts and the fact that you can't know them either lends itself to a purity spiral sort of situation. As we know, if we think covering flesh in itself prevents desire, we soon realise that the bar moves and we require more covering up of flesh. (again, this is different than deliberately provocative scenarios.) If we are saying a situation is risky, that should mean a material risk and we should be able to define what that might look like. A risk that someone might have bad thoughts will end up in a crazy place.

I've been on holiday to Germany a few times and it's normal to swim naked and take saunas etc, lots of kids and no issues. Some kids were in costumes (probably the Brits) and a few adults, personal preference. What to do about restrictions on convicted paedophiles is different, they shouldn't be allowed to join sports clubs or use facilities when kids are present anyway.

SterFran00

What is the point in being naked for a swim though? What do you actually get from it? I just can't see how any benefit can outweigh exposing your child's genitals to strangers. They may be respectful to your face, but how many of those men are using that mental image of your naked child to masterbate to later?

They may be used to it now, but as they grow they will realise that it is not a normal thing to do and the memories may be upsetting, don't forget, you are at eye level with the other members of the 'community' they are not.

I don’t have a particular issue with this from a feminist perspective. Is there any evidence that nudist events are a particular risk to children that I have missed?

What kind of parent takes their child to an event like this? As a PP said, children cannot consent to being exposed to a strangers genitalia. It's not fair on them.

I can't think of anything worse as a child than having to go to an event full of strange blokes todgers everywhere.

If you want to all be naked in the privacy of your own home, and for your kids to be comfortable with that, then great. But why would you want to take your kids to public places where there will be naked adults that they don't even know?

Nudity is not inherently sexual, especially not for young children. My parents (fairly conservative types) have a photo of me and my brother (about 4 & 2 at the time) running around in the altogether, and they never thought much about including it in the family album.

Naked swimming is not really my thing (most opportunities would be outside, which would probably end up with either hyperthermia or a sunburnt bum). But what exactly is the risk here? Are we going to restrict our children's behaviour on the possibility that some scumbag might have bad thoughts about them? That could happen even if they were wearing swimsuits, or shorts, or burkas.

I agree with Goosefoot that "an example of non-sexual associations with the naked human body" would be a good thing.

Paeophile restrictions seem to be quite limited, my neighbour lives beside a school. He hadn't had to move, possibly because the school age group is different to the age of the child in the incident he was convicted for. However he always chooses to walk his dog at school hometime. It's particularly noticeable because people living close to schools tend to avoid going out at that time as much as possible as it's busy and we know 20mins wait will make a big difference.

@Lumene

I don’t have a particular issue with this from a feminist perspective. Is there any evidence that nudist events are a particular risk to children that I have missed?

Aside from the known pedo that likes to attend this event even though the police have tried to stop him?

@MandosHatHair

SterFran00

What is the point in being naked for a swim though? What do you actually get from it? I just can't see how any benefit can outweigh exposing your child's genitals to strangers. They may be respectful to your face, but how many of those men are using that mental image of your naked child to masterbate to later?

They may be used to it now, but as they grow they will realise that it is not a normal thing to do and the memories may be upsetting, don't forget, you are at eye level with the other members of the 'community' they are not.

For a naturist, swimming naked is just how we prefer to swim. It’s less cumbersome (no annoying straps falling, worrying about being ‘placed’ well in a bikini/costume or ‘falling out’!), it’s liberating, freeing and it feels good. First time I swam in the sea naked was an awesome experience.

I think it’s a good idea to be careful that preconceptions about nudity aren’t affecting how we think about something ie if you think naturism is about exposing a child’s genitals, then that’s just not an accurate view of naturism.

Seeing other people naked isn’t upsetting for naturist children, they’ve been brought up seeing all sorts of bodies and it isn’t an issue.

So for us, it is normal and continues to be so. For others it isn’t, and that’s fine too.

Our naturist friends with now adult children aren’t reporting that their children are looking back at their naturist upbringing with horror - they are either still naturist or naturist/nude friendly in their own lives.

DreadPirateLuna

It's about risk vs benefits, I am under no illusion that beaches and pools are free of peadophiles, however the benefits of swimming as exercise and the enjoyment they get from playing in sand outweigh the risk. Wearing a swimsuit at least means the pervert has to use thier imagination a bit.
These people may get off on the thought of exposing themselves to kids, why would risk your child being involved in that kink. Why would a pervert risk prison by flashing when they can just sign up to a nudist club?