Press Release: Stop mistreating children!

The ‘prudification’ of society is a serious and growing problem. It denies essential knowledge and skills which leads to greater sexualisation, objectification, and violence.

Decades of failure to follow best practice has resulted in the UK consistently being one of the worst performing countries, and not just amongst western countries. For example, The Lancet recently published data showing that the UK is the worst in the world for breast feeding at 12 months - 200 times worse than Senegal! UNICEF concluded that 30 million pounds per annum could be saved by the NHS if breast feeding rates could be improved.

The British Naturism report “Children Deserve Better 2016” contains evidence from sound academic sources rather than prejudice or sound bites. It is essential reading for anyone concerned with the welfare of children. It includes discussion of body image, sex education, teenage pregnancy, breasts and breast feeding, slut walking, freedom of expression, internet filtering, blocking and censorship, sexting and more.

Malcolm Boura, British Naturism’s Campaigns Director said:

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Wholesome body attitudes are so important and it’s time that ‘Think of the children’ once again meant just that. A paradigm shift is needed. It is long overdue that we stopped paying lip service to “children come first” and “evidence based policy making” and actually did it. Right across the spectrum, decisions are being made based on prejudice and myth, ignoring evidence and common sense. Worse, in some cases conclusions are reached with no evidence at all! Prudery is a form of child abuse, just less directly and less obviously so than many other kinds. We want politicians, children’s groups and charities, among others to think much more carefully about what works. It will take a generation or more to correct the harm so the time to start is now.

Find the report at:

-ENDS-
Contacts:
Malcolm Boura, Campaigns Director
British Naturism
T: 01638 510504
M: 07734 964435
E: campaigns@bn.org.uk

Contacts:
Andrew Welch, Media and PR
British Naturism
T: 01753 481527
M: 07774 955138
E: commercial.manager@bn.org.uk

Notes for Editors

• British Naturism (BN) is the UK’s officially recognised Naturist organisation. It exists to support and unite Naturists around the UK and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014, although its predecessors were in existence since the 1930s.
• Amongst the aims of BN are to campaign for more places to be made available for Naturism and to protect Naturists against discrimination and Victorian attitudes to the human body.
• Fact - in law, there is no offence of nudity. Various pieces of legislation and common law are often mentioned in connection with Naturism but they are rarely relevant. See Crown Prosecution Service guidance on Naturism for details. There is inadequate protection against prejudice, misunderstanding of the law, and abuses of the law, and that can result in Naturists finding themselves in difficulties
• In the UK, there are over 130 sun clubs, swim clubs and holiday resorts and many beaches used regularly by Naturists. Membership of BN is around 10,000 people with many more being members of clubs affiliated to BN: https://www.bn.org.uk/activities/placestogo/.
• Naturism is good for you! Naturists report improvements in well-being, stress, chronic illness, self-esteem and body image. It’s also a sensible choice of dress when the weather is warm. Naturists are normal people. The only difference between activities inside and outside of Naturism is the dress code.
• It is a fallacy to believe that naked children are any more at risk in a Naturist environment. Unaccompanied children are not permitted in Naturist places and the community spirit that pervades ensures that a watchful eye is present. Despite the perception, there are far fewer problems in Naturism than in more “public” places where children and adults mix. Mindful of the need to be aware of child safeguarding issues, however, BN have a robust child safeguarding policy, code of practice, and a Child Safeguarding sub-committee that meets regularly and runs workshops on the subject, sometimes to groups from outside the Naturist world.
• For the media, there is a dedicated “Media Centre” at https://www.bn.org.uk/media, which contains useful information for those wishing to write about Naturism or to feature this wonderful world in their publications or programmes.