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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 )

LemonJam Thu 04-Dec-25 19:56:57

Allira 92% of sex offenders are men, GravyGravy.
"Less than 4% of women are paedophiles. The statistics speak for themselves".

You need to provide statistics for female and male NURSERY CARE WORKERS who are found to be sexual offenders of PRE SCHOOL children Allira to support you case.

GrannyGravy13 Thu 04-Dec-25 19:58:24

I am not disputing the sex offender percentages per se.

I am disputing that a ban on males in caring professions will not alter these percentages, an abuser will always find a way to abuse.

I totally stand by my post that we shouldn’t start banning men from caring roles.

Cossy Thu 04-Dec-25 20:00:26

GrannyGravy13

I am not disputing the sex offender percentages per se.

I am disputing that a ban on males in caring professions will not alter these percentages, an abuser will always find a way to abuse.

I totally stand by my post that we shouldn’t start banning men from caring roles.

And I completely agree!

Allira Thu 04-Dec-25 20:02:29

LemonJam

Allira 92% of sex offenders are men, GravyGravy.
"Less than 4% of women are paedophiles. The statistics speak for themselves".

You need to provide statistics for female and male NURSERY CARE WORKERS who are found to be sexual offenders of PRE SCHOOL children Allira to support you case.

You only need two, * Lemonjam*, to prove the hypothesis, unless you are saying that 98 women nursery workers have been convicted of sexual abuse of their charges in which case there would be far more reports of this.

There is no defence of this man and those statistics speak fir themselves.

butterandjam Thu 04-Dec-25 20:11:15

@allira

*92% of sex offenders are men, GravyGravy.
Less than 4% of women are paedophiles.
The statistics speak for themselves.*

Do you have a link to the above statistics, please?

LemonJam Thu 04-Dec-25 20:12:28

Thanks for clarifying Allira that you would not ban from caring roles- I hadn't fully grasped that and I agree. I also agree there is no defence for this man- or any others found to abuse children.

Both women and men have been found to abuse nursery ry school age children, whatever the actual proportions and you can't ban both male and female carers!

Oreo Thu 04-Dec-25 20:27:27

I will answer the OP in one word…Yes!!

Wyllow3 Thu 04-Dec-25 20:33:51

GrannyGravy13

I am not disputing the sex offender percentages per se.

I am disputing that a ban on males in caring professions will not alter these percentages, an abuser will always find a way to abuse.

I totally stand by my post that we shouldn’t start banning men from caring roles.

👏👏👏

Galaxy Thu 04-Dec-25 20:44:38

The statistics for male sex offending both against children and adults are available for anyone to Google. I think it is fine to argue against a ban but you are increasing risk. Men commit crimes in a completely different way to women.

Oreo Thu 04-Dec-25 20:46:51

What kind of man wants to work in a nursery? Men don’t get into jobs where they can abuse children by chance, they seek out those kind of jobs.
Nurseries should never ever employ men.

vegansrock Thu 04-Dec-25 21:04:52

Surely the answer is that a nursery worker should not be able to be alone when performing intimate care of a child, perhaps nappy changing areas should be open plan or have windows so the workers are visible. Workers should not have their personal mobile phones on them during their contact time with the children. CCTV could be on the premises at key areas, such as where the children are sleeping. Safeguarding should be top of the agenda.

Galaxy Thu 04-Dec-25 21:12:03

From what I can see it was laptops belonging to the nursery. I know of no nurseries that allow staff mobile phones, and they fight quite an endless battle to stop parents using theirs on drop offs.

anna7 Thu 04-Dec-25 21:44:42

Of course men should not be banned from working in nurseries. Men can and should be positive male role models. Are only women capable of looking after young children? How sexist!

Mollygo Thu 04-Dec-25 21:54:22

anna7

Of course men should not be banned from working in nurseries. Men can and should be positive male role models. Are only women capable of looking after young children? How sexist!

Unless there is adequate safeguarding in place it doesn’t matter whether they’re male or female.
However, sexist or not, I wouldn’t have left my pre-talking stage daughters in the care of a male.

Allira Thu 04-Dec-25 22:02:13

vegansrock

Surely the answer is that a nursery worker should not be able to be alone when performing intimate care of a child, perhaps nappy changing areas should be open plan or have windows so the workers are visible. Workers should not have their personal mobile phones on them during their contact time with the children. CCTV could be on the premises at key areas, such as where the children are sleeping. Safeguarding should be top of the agenda.

Yes.

Safeguarding should be top of the agenda.
This absolutely. It should go without saying.

Allira Thu 04-Dec-25 22:03:59

GrannyGravy13

I am not disputing the sex offender percentages per se.

I am disputing that a ban on males in caring professions will not alter these percentages, an abuser will always find a way to abuse.

I totally stand by my post that we shouldn’t start banning men from caring roles.

I totally stand by my post that we shouldn’t start banning men from caring roles.

I never said we should.

Allira Thu 04-Dec-25 22:06:09

LemonJam

Thanks for clarifying Allira that you would not ban from caring roles- I hadn't fully grasped that and I agree. I also agree there is no defence for this man- or any others found to abuse children.

Both women and men have been found to abuse nursery ry school age children, whatever the actual proportions and you can't ban both male and female carers!

Thanks for clarifying Allira that you would not ban from caring roles- I hadn't fully grasped that and I agree.

Thanks LemonJam

anna7 Thu 04-Dec-25 22:09:27

My eldest son held a NNEB certificate many years ago and worked for a short time in a nursery. He was always a kind and nurturing young man, very good with his younger siblings, and hoped it may be a way into teaching as he did not have the right qualifications for teaching at the time. He didn't last very long because the pay was poor and the hours long. He now works in a very male oriented environment as an engineer earning a much better salary. He is also an excellent father to his young daughter. I find it most distasteful and upsetting that people would view his earlier occupation as somehow suspect.

RosieandherMaw Thu 04-Dec-25 22:10:10

Oreo

What kind of man wants to work in a nursery? Men don’t get into jobs where they can abuse children by chance, they seek out those kind of jobs.
Nurseries should never ever employ men.

What kind of man?
What kind of man wants to be an Early Years of Primary teacher, a paediatrician, a male nurse, a male carer?
A man with a vocation in health care, education, nursing, basically just like any woman.
Are you also ruling out Dads?

Chocolatelovinggran Fri 05-Dec-25 07:42:11

Rosie and anna, thank you. As I stated before, we promoted one of our Early Years male teachers when we established a nursery in school. He was a wonderful teacher and the children and parents were very fond of him.
I am astonished that anyone would query why he might have chosen his career.
I have a DIL with an engineering degree.
She is a very successful woman and a loving wife and mother: she would not have been a good fit as an Early Years teacher at all- however much her gender might suggest that she would.

Kandinsky Fri 05-Dec-25 07:56:33

There’s a big difference in a man wanting to be a teacher and a man wanting to wipe noses and change nappies all day.
There are two male teachers in my grandchildren’s school ( reception and year 2 ) they’re brilliant!
But being a teacher at a primary school is not the same as caring for nursery age children ( basically babies / toddlers ) not the same at all.

foxie48 Fri 05-Dec-25 08:11:52

Absolutely no, I find it appalling that anyone should question the motivation of someone wanting to work with babies and young children because they are male. What is also offensive is that some seem to think it's ok to pay women poorly for doing a caring job but not men. Words fail me!

GrannyGravy13 Fri 05-Dec-25 08:17:10

foxie48

Absolutely no, I find it appalling that anyone should question the motivation of someone wanting to work with babies and young children because they are male. What is also offensive is that some seem to think it's ok to pay women poorly for doing a caring job but not men. Words fail me!

I totally agree!

As a mother to four sons, and a Granny to five grandsons I am appalled at the attitude to men on this thread.

Not all men are rapists or abusers, if they have those tendencies they will offend wherever they work (or not work)

Safeguarding should be paramount for both females and males.

Galaxy Fri 05-Dec-25 08:18:25

I am a mother to two sons, they would recognise that men pose a higher risk.

GrannyGravy13 Fri 05-Dec-25 08:18:40

Oops premature posting.

As for it’s a job for women Wow! Just Wow!

It’s the 21st century for goodness sake!