Safer schools issues guidance on furries in school

Article doesn't really say much or anything? It's just filler.

I'm glad it actually addressed the "litter boxes in school" hoax though.

I have not read the thread but coming on to say that this is not us!

https://twitter.com/safeschools_uk/status/1652248339449106432?s=46

Will now go and read the thread.

We are very concerned by the response from Jim Gamble. https://twitter.com/SafeSchools_UK/status/1652265297452081152?s=20

Any parent who has a child showing interest in the furry community should immediately look at what they have been looking at on the internet. We know children who are interested in furries are at greater risk of grooming. We know parents and teachers who are dealing with this right now and schools need to be aware of the potential that any child in their school who is showing an interest has been groomed online.

Agreed on all points.

Of course it's a serious question. I'm a mother with a child in school. What concerns did the parent have when they spoke to you? I didn't know this was a 'thing' in schools, that's why I'm asking .

Just saw this on Twitter. Yes, it would appear that furries very much are a safeguarding issue.
https://twitter.com/richk13/status/1652217362861490177

I mean, seriously, what would an adult community, largely made up of men, be dressing up as cats and dogs and in furry costumes for exactly?

It seems self evident to me that the entire point of the cutesy furriness is to disguise the sexual nature of the kink.

Everyone I know realises that furries is a kink. Some men will get turned on by anything, and being led round with a collar and lead with a butt plug as a tail, is just one of the myriad of ways.

Anyone who has the blatant bloody brass neck to say *However, there is no evidence to support this claim. *is lying.

Especially when they're setting themselves up as a bloody expert on child protection!

What next? BDSM groups claiming that studded leather harnesses are nothing more than a jolly effective lumbago aid?

The kneejerk reaction here "some of them are weird pervs therefore they all are" seems to be part of what the advice is aiming to guard against. Maybe I'm wrong - I don't know any furries - but to paint them all with the same brush seems unfair to me. Plenty of fandom spaces have weird pervy elements whilst also including loads of perfectly decent people. The advice says that much of what it suggests may apply to other fandom communities.

"Why do they do it if it isn't sexual?" I don't know, but plenty of people have hobbies I don't understand. Some may just like being part of a community. The advice mentions some ways in which it appeals to autistic people, which seem entirely plausible.

The advice treats it as something people do for fun and warns that for some people it may however take over their life - portraying this as a bad thing. There's no suggestion that school kids should be allow to self-identify as animals or anything crazy like that.

Another thread rightly decries the use of "moral panic" in relation to the reaction against the trans agenda. But much of this reaction against furries looks a lot like genuine unjustified moral panic to me. It's hard not to detect elements of straightforward bigotry against people with an unusual hobby.

A lot of children are into Anime and Manga and cutesy ears and animals is a part of that. There is a line. An innocent line. Unfortunately though, in this particular social hobby pervs have got closer to imitating something innocent in order to reel in children. That is the problem.

Years ago, Playboy put their bunny sign on children's pencil cases and stationery and it was selling on the high street. A bunny is both a cute symbol of innocence and a symbol of sex. It was eventually crushed. I don't see them now. But I remember being shocked to see playboy themed stuff selling in WHSmith and Woolworths. To a child how would they be able to tell the difference between cutesy bunny art and Playboy bunny art? Both are cute right?

I presume you don't know anything about comic con, or other conventions where people dress up as different characters, cosplay ect ?

I'm going to be honest the title on this thread is one that never in a month of Sunday's could I have ever imagined one day having to read.

But here we are.

Furries to the left of me Ferries to the right of me!

Then stuck in the middle

Of course. But it's interesting, that someone like me, who is not particularly interested in comic con etc, is fully aware that furries frequently have a sexual element. Maybe not all the time, hobbies are diverse. But that's not really the point.

The point is that the people supplying the advice for children claim there is no evidence of a sexual connection.

Why would they say that?

The research Safer Schools points to makes it very clear that there is strong sexual element to furries. furscience.com/research-findings/  and yet Jim Gamble claims it is not sexual. He can't have it both ways. If it's sexual and attractive to children then it is a safeguarding risk, it does not mean anyone who is a furry is a risk to children but tbe whole community is flying a red flag. Schools and parents need to be aware of this.

It does not matter what consenting adults get up to in their spare time. The point is that the very nature of the furry fandom will attract children. Often ASD children who already feel isolated at school. And any community which attracts children. will also attract people who wish to harm children. Safeguarding does not exist to validate, support or explain adults choices. It exists to protect children. Anyone who equates worrying about the influence of who furries with moral panic needs a very quick wake up call.

To be honest I have no previous knowledge on the whole furries culture, other than the outfits at comic cons.

I freely admit that I'm often baffled to the point of incredulity over some peoples hobbies 🙂 But I take it on board that dressing up as a furry can be entirely innocent for some people.

My point being that I know full well that there is frequently a sexual element to it. It's not as though it's a secret. This man saying there is no evidence is wrong.

So either he doesn't realise, in which case he should not be in a position of advising schools about child protection.

Or he does realise, and should not be in a position of advising schools about child protection.

Honestly, I'm sick to death of hearing of the never-ending and creative ways that men find to access children.

So why are you commenting? Many Kids are attracted to furry communities where they often get groomed online and get exposed to extreme sexual content. We know this as fact..It does not matter that some adults like cosplay and dressing up. This has nothing to do with anything. .

@Datun he linked to a report which said it is sexual. Read his twitter conversation with us. Very concerning. I’m

2falls - just checked the Twitter thread with Gamble. I find it concerning that despite his credentials in this field, he dismissed your comments as irrelevant, like your organisation is some Johnny come lately who know nothing. He should be up to date with your work at the very least, and preferably, be consulting with SSA as an expert in this area.

Thank you for all the work you do.

Gamble - wind your male arrogance in and realise that SSA have been on the front line of child safeguarding for quite some time. You may even learn something.

thank you @chilling19 - his dismissal of concerns and defensive stance is a safeguarding concern in itself. He should know this.

❤️

To answer this person's question.

"I mean, seriously, what would an adult community, largely made up of men, be dressing up as cats and dogs and in furry costumes for exactly?"

That's when I said about people that dress up for the comic cons, and other expos, that fans attend and dress up in various costumes etc

Idk if anyone's interested but I've been a furry artist for the last 10 years of my life (On an off for the last three simply because of real life getting in the way)

Doing art commissions for people online etc - If anyone has any questions I'm happy to answer where I can! :)

@Hawkins003 Do you think a community which is, by its very nature, appealing to children and has a fetish/sexual element to it is more or less likely to attract peadophiles? Schools need to be aware that any child demonstrating a furry connection could well have been groomed online. We know this is happening. It has nothing to do with adults enjoying their hobby.

It would make my job interesting ...
'Brain do your top button up, Flavia roll your sleeves down, Vladimir don't you shake your ears at me'