NUDITY DEBATE
Should we be more considerate in pool changing rooms?
An uncomfortable incident in a pool changing shed has sparked debate about how appropriate it is for adults to strip naked in front of children.
Engineer Shabbir Ahmed was at the Lido Aquatic Centre in Palmerston North in February when he saw a child become distressed on seeing a completely naked man in the open changing area.
‘‘The father of the kid put a towel over his face and said ‘don’t look over there’,’’ Ahmed said.
‘‘It does not leave a positive impact on a child’s brain.’’
Ahmed said the centre had private changing rooms that adults should use to avoid placing children in potentially vulnerable situations.
‘‘I believe we should not expose our genitals to the public, especially when we are in [a] family place.’’
Adults were mature enough to deal with nudity but children may not be, Ahmed said.
Lido manager Lynden Noakes said people occasionally brought the topic up but the centre had doubled its number of family rooms to eight in 2016.
‘‘We have a bigger emphasis on our family changing rooms now.
‘‘A lot more people are reserved than there used to be.
‘‘Back in the day people used to go in there and get changed and wouldn’t care who was standing there.
‘‘Now they like to be more private.’’
Children were encouraged to use private cubicles and anyone could also use family rooms, he said.
Massey University senior lecturer in clinical psychology Dr Kirsty Ross said she had not come across research suggesting nudity in changing rooms had negative lasting effects on children.
If parents were uncomfortable with it they could remove children from that situation, she said.
‘‘We don’t have control over what other people do. What you have control over is what you do in that situation.’’
Parents should discuss it with their children before going to public changing room, she said.
Family changing rooms or private cubicles were a good option for people not wanting to undress in front of others.
‘‘You have the right to privacy around your body.’’
But parents also needed to be careful not to instil fear in their children.
Ahmed wasn’t necessarily being too sensitive, Ross said.
‘‘I think this is probably just a really caring kind of parent who’s really mindful.’’
The Standard asked people in Palmerston North what they thought was appropriate.
Holly Turner said she didn’t have a problem with children and adults getting changed in the same area.
‘‘Maybe have a family changing room if the kids do feel uncomfortable.’’
Holly’s father Bryan Turner suggested separating changing rooms into one area for parents and their children, and a separate area for other adults.
‘‘That would be easy to do.’’ Jess Patterson said it wasn’t appropriate for children and adults to get changed in the same area.
‘‘You should go into a cubicle.’’ Freyberg community pool manager Nathan Larnach said he hadn’t noticed an issue but he got complaints about children of the opposite sex accompanying parents into the changing room.