Is it safe to hug a child?

Question

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7474692.stm

'Many adults are afraid to interact with children for fear of being labelled as paedophiles, a report has claimed.'

Do you think this is true? If you are a parent, are you wary if a man is nice to your kids?

Answer 1

Not these days

When I volunteered in a local infants school (working with children as young as 4), children who had wet themselves had to sit in wet clothes all day because the staff weren't allowed to clean them up and change their clothes because of "no physical contact" rules.  If their parents could not come to the school to change them and get them cleaned up they sat around in pee-soaked clothes all day.  Same if a child had been sick or spilt something on themselves.  They just had to sit in the dirty clothes because the staff weren't allowed to change them.

A child who had fallen over in the playground and came to me crying for a hug had to be gently pushed away as I wasn't allowed to do it - same if an upset child wanted to hold you hand or sit on your lap.

It really p*sses me off.  I'm the mother of an 18 month old  son who occasionally goes to a creche at the local college and I insist that if he's dirty or wet he is changed, if he's tired or upset he gets a cuddle from the staff etc.  Children do need physical contact from their carers and anyone who works with children will be well-vetted.  I'd be furious if my child was left sitting in wet clothes, or left to cry without a cuddle, just because of some stupid PC, nanny-state laws!  I certainly don't think that the lovely, kind, well-trained girls at the creche would "hurt" my son in any way just because he wants to sit on their lap or have a cwch when he's tired!

Obviously I'd be wary if a complete stranger came up and tried to hug my son, but trained, vetted professional child care staff and teacher I'm fine with.

Answer 2

sure - just make sure the child protective services n***s aren't around!  Good caring people get in trouble and the pedophiles go free - this world is upside-down.

I'm really glad my kids are all adults - too old for perverts to talk to

Answer 3

i think a lot of parents now are people who grew up in the 80's... a time when everyone became aware of child molesters.  every popular television show in the 80's had a "very special episode" where some one was a victim of sexual abuse.  the most memorable for me, the episode of different strokes, when Arnold and Dudley were molested by the bicycle repairman.

anyway, yes, as adults now and parents i think we are all a lot more guarded than previous generations.

as for hugging a child, only family and friends should come any where near my children, let alone hug them.  if i'm around and an adult we don't know starts talking to my child, i don't mind, as long as i'm right there with them.

Answer 4

it's sad isn't it.it's probably one of the reasons kids have no respect for their elders these days.instead of the old guy who likes a friendly word with the kids he's now called that old perv.the media has done its job well in making us all that bit more aware of whats going on and at the same time taking away the innocence of childhood.

Answer 5

NO obviously

Always wary as a parent - you never know since the PC brigade allowed s*x offenders to wander the streets freely.

Always play safe

Answer 6

Sure.

Why not?

If it's own child.

If stranger.

May hug iinfront of their parents. and when parents are around.

If the child does not trust the stranger.

Will expose personality clash against the stranger.

In crying or tantrums.

If the child has no personality clash.

Will let stranger hug them.

Luke 9.25,55-56,60

What do you think?

Answer 7

depends, I'm only 16, and i help at a kids club for primary school kids. I need a CRB check and their are rules in what we cant do, eg two adults taking a child into another room by ourselves, or taking a child to the loo.

We have to be very careful in what we do, because of that label.

Kids need love and attention if they hurt themselves, but health and safety laws now state you cant even do that, as my mum said as she is a dinner lady at school and shes not allowed to hug children only talk to them.

I think because of this whole craze everyones cautious and particularly interested in their child's safety and well being.

Answer 8

I hug my kids, don't care what people think.

We live in a state controlled by over zealous police, so any thing could happen. Hug a child go to jail, that my be coming.

Read 1984 by George Orwell.

Answer 9

Just shows you how the media can massively distort reality and instill unncessary fear in the general public.

I'm not a parent but it seems to me, where children are concerned, not enough attention given to kids by adults is a much bigger problem than too much.

Answer 10

Not if the child is the offspring of one of those who howl paedophile every time a man comes anywhere near their little darlings, most of whom I would not want to hug anyway. Seems to me that the government and media have successfully driven a wedge between the generations such that I wouldn't even help a lost child.