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Should men be banned from working in nurseries?

(245 Posts)
Kandinsky Thu 04-Dec-25 11:06:47

Can’t do links but you may have seen in the news that a male nursery worker has been found guilty of sexual abuse at the nursery he worked at for 7 years.
He’d had all the relevant checks performed.
Is it time we stopped letting men work ( often unsupervised ) with our most vulnerable of children?

There is a thread over on MN about this so just wondered what we think?

( personally I wouldn’t want a man caring for my child’s intimate needs and would not use a nursery employing male nursery nurses )

NotSpaghetti Thu 04-Dec-25 18:00:20

I know two men, David49 who have worked in early years.

And one who was rejected in the 1970s (I think 70s) because he was a man.

I think your view of men and children is quiye odd actually.
It's almost certainly a pay thing!

Allsorts Thu 04-Dec-25 17:59:03

I would rather not have had children than leave them in a nursery. Never felt any different. ..Only baby sitters mother and mother in law..How people leave tiny babies I cant understand.
Anyone that did what that evil man did, doesn't deserve to live.

NotSpaghetti Thu 04-Dec-25 17:55:31

I would like to see more men in childcare and junior schools.

In the "old days" they weren't allowed to train for the preschool years.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 04-Dec-25 17:53:10

Galaxy

The percentage of child sex abuse perpetrators is between 95 - 99% male. You are raising the risk. There may very well be good reasons to do that, but we need to be clear about that.

Most children that are abused are abused by someone they know.

The vast majority of children abused are girls and in the older age group.

So before we get carried away about nurseries, it is important to be clear about the statistics and the different level of risk to specific age groups and sex.

Chocolatelovinggran Thu 04-Dec-25 17:51:08

We appointed a male teacher when our school opened a nursery. He was a wonderful teacher.
Intimate care in our setting involved two people.

Galaxy Thu 04-Dec-25 17:15:11

The percentage of child sex abuse perpetrators is between 95 - 99% male. You are raising the risk. There may very well be good reasons to do that, but we need to be clear about that.

GrannyGravy13 Thu 04-Dec-25 17:12:44

Kandinsky

*Are we now saying that because one man is evil all men are?*

Is this comment for real?

You think he’s the only one who has sexually abused children In nurseries?

Are you aware that women have been prosecuted for abusing babies and toddlers in nursery?

Should all women be banned because of them?

Hey what about just closing all nurseries🤦‍♀️

Maremia Thu 04-Dec-25 17:12:23

You have nailed it GG13.
Thanks Mollygo, that was the female abuser name I was trying to remember.

Sarnia Thu 04-Dec-25 17:09:09

I don't think all men should be banned. You cannot tar them all with the same brush. However, far more stringent checks need doing before employing people to work in jobs where there is such close and intimate contact with children. Don't forget Vanessa George, who enabled a paedophile ring to view obscene images of children she was abusing at the nursey where she worked.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 04-Dec-25 17:02:14

GrannyGravy13

Is it any wonder why young men are having a crisis of confidence?

There is no reason why men shouldn’t be in a caring role. This current man in the headlines is a vile individual. Are we now saying that because one man is evil all men are?

Rather them be kind and nurturing then look to the likes of The Tate Brothers for role models.

Yes - this.

Kandinsky Thu 04-Dec-25 16:59:47

Are we now saying that because one man is evil all men are?

Is this comment for real?

You think he’s the only one who has sexually abused children In nurseries?

butterandjam Thu 04-Dec-25 16:51:35

SORES

ixion

www.norland.ac.uk/i-have-surprised-myself-and-achieved-more-than-i-thought-i-would-kias-story/

Norland Nannies train boys too.

One or two a year, perhaps.
Norland is a business, 17,000£ a year, plus £1,000 for uniform, weeding out the career minded from the predatory opportunists (one would hope)

If you think money and cost (or organised planning) is any kind of barrier or deterrent to child predators, dream on. Take a look at Epstein's clientele. Child porn is a massive business.

GrannyGravy13 Thu 04-Dec-25 16:44:12

Is it any wonder why young men are having a crisis of confidence?

There is no reason why men shouldn’t be in a caring role. This current man in the headlines is a vile individual. Are we now saying that because one man is evil all men are?

Rather them be kind and nurturing then look to the likes of The Tate Brothers for role models.

Kandinsky Thu 04-Dec-25 16:43:57

This latest man was 45 and had worked in the nursery for 7 years. So 38 when he was taken on.
What 38 year old man wants to work in a nursery changing babies nappies?
Red flag there immediately.
What man of any age for that matter.
It’s a low status, predominantly female ( probably often quite boring ) job.
So what’s the attraction for a man?

lemsip Thu 04-Dec-25 16:41:17

the thousands of male doctors nurses paediatricians ect would not have been working in day nurseries in the local towns ! they would all have more intelligence

lemsip Thu 04-Dec-25 16:39:10

LOUISA1523

David49

Personally I think its very strange that a man would want to work in a nursery, in any case women have abused children as well, I’m surprised that workers are allowed to change a nappy unsupervised.
Yes, it’s going to cost more but how much supervision is needed.

Personally I think its strange that you have such an opinion 🤔....so what do you base that on?

LOUISA1523

Personally it's very strange that you think an opinion different from yours is strange! .

Wyllow3 Thu 04-Dec-25 16:38:02

No.

David49 Thu 04-Dec-25 16:36:13

LOUISA1523

David49

Personally I think its very strange that a man would want to work in a nursery, in any case women have abused children as well, I’m surprised that workers are allowed to change a nappy unsupervised.
Yes, it’s going to cost more but how much supervision is needed.

Personally I think its strange that you have such an opinion 🤔....so what do you base that on?

Because babies are helpless an adult can protest and resist and is a witness, career, nurses and doctors are working in a supervised environment, even so having a chaperone is routine

So are you saying that helpless babies don’t deserve a chaperone.

lemsip Thu 04-Dec-25 16:32:47

A big fat YES from me!
employed just to fit the new 'woke' way of everything! Those poor small children/babies at the mercy of paedophiles!

Galaxy Thu 04-Dec-25 16:25:56

Because the risk for child sex abuse is higher for males. People do need to understand that. As I say you can accept that the benefits of having male staff outweigh the risk but you can't pretend you aren't increasing the risk.

Astitchintime Thu 04-Dec-25 16:20:16

So are we only going to have female paediatricians, children’s nurses, neonatal unit staff? The two nurses who inflicted the worst abuse imaginable on defenceless babies and children were both females.

BlueBelle Thu 04-Dec-25 16:18:28

david49 why ?? Many men are carers, certainly with old people male carers are bathing them helping them on and off the loo and who s ever expressed OMG moment at a female bed bathing a male
Surely the same with babies / toddlers some men are better at looking after little ones than sone women
Men can be rotten abusers
Women can be rotten abusers
Neither should be alone to do any private care with a baby toddler or elderly or anyone unable

Purplepixie Thu 04-Dec-25 16:13:57

Why? Women have been caught abusing children as well as men. You can’t paint them all the same!

LOUISA1523 Thu 04-Dec-25 16:08:57

David49

Personally I think its very strange that a man would want to work in a nursery, in any case women have abused children as well, I’m surprised that workers are allowed to change a nappy unsupervised.
Yes, it’s going to cost more but how much supervision is needed.

Personally I think its strange that you have such an opinion 🤔....so what do you base that on?

SORES Thu 04-Dec-25 13:29:21

ixion

www.norland.ac.uk/i-have-surprised-myself-and-achieved-more-than-i-thought-i-would-kias-story/

Norland Nannies train boys too.

One or two a year, perhaps.
Norland is a business, 17,000£ a year, plus £1,000 for uniform, weeding out the career minded from the predatory opportunists (one would hope)