Are Children Unsafe in a Naturist Setting?

This is a very important question, and one that was asked of me at one of the local nude swims this weekend; aren't children more at risk of being victims of predators when they are nude?

The argument made was that if you take your children to one of the family nude swims or the World Naked Bike Ride, your child's nudity will encourage the presence of pedophiles. I obviously disagree with that, but only in regards to naturist events, not when it comes to public events. Let's talk about naturist events first.

When you take your child to a genuine naturist event, I argue that they are likely safer than most public events. At nudist resorts or a nude swim, nudists form a bond between each other that creates a very tight security net. Children are always under watchful eye by not only their parents, but by every other genuine naturist there. I don't want to sound like naturists are more paranoid, but they are definitely aware of what is going on around them. Any inappropriate behaviour is always dealt with swiftly and usually ends in the suspect being removed from the premises. I don't think a pedophile would have much of a chance at a real nudist event. I also question how often a pedophile would make their way into such an event in the first place. Most resorts screen people, and the smaller events mean that it's hard for someone with ill intentions to go unnoticed.



Now when it comes to public nude events, I may not be quite so in favour of bringing children there. It's a little sad and unfortunate for those children who have been raised in a naturist environment, but public places like the World Naked Bike Ride are probably not places for children. The only reason I say this is because of the number of textiles staggeringly outnumbers the nudists at an event such as this. The nudist security net cannot possibly be present at such an event, and thus it is probably not the safest place for a child. And while a parent may feel they have an adequate eye on their child, photography is something that cannot be regulated at such an event, and nobody wants to think that nude photos of their child may be used inappropriately. It's too bad this is the case because family friendly naturism is really what we want to portray to the world, and often the WNBR is the only event textiles may see when it comes to naturism.

That all being said, the world has bad people out there, and we all know it. These people might be at the textile beach, they might be at the mall, they might be outside the school! We have to be watchful of our youngsters anywhere we go, maybe even more so in the textile world, since pedophiles can blend in easier there. I think those who believe children are more at risk at a nudist event are still relating nudity to sex, which of course isn't what nudists do. Yes, a pedophile definitely relates nudity to sex, but those intentions are easily easily spotted by a true naturist.



It is important that we continue to keep nudist resorts and events family friendly. Age discrimination only supports the perception that nudity and sex go hand in hand. That of course, is not true and healthy family-friendly nudity is beneficial to both adults and children. Children should be allowed to practice healthy nudity with their families, and families should feel safe when this is practiced in a true naturist setting.