Nakedness

I used to have recurring dreams that I was naked in public situations. I'm sure a shrink would identify that as an anxiety dream. 

A 14 year old boy who sent a naked selfie to a girl on snapchat was recorded as making and distributing an indecent image. The girl shared the image with his classmates, so technically she was the one distributing it. I wonder why she isn't equally, if not more, culpable? This is not unusual behaviour today, but it raises a lot of questions, not least of which is our attitudes to nakedness.

Obviously there are "Naturist" places in most countries. I'll never forget a holiday in Maspalomas Grand Canaria & coming face to face with a mans dangly bits as I was climbing up a sand dune which he was descending! (I was clothed at the time). There are also still tribal areas where nakedness is perfectly normal, in Africa & South America for example. Then there are the "famous" people in the public eye who parade in the skimpiest clothing which leaves little to the imagination & is far more overtly sexual than simply being naked. Their images are everywhere for children to see. TV & film now leaves nothing whatsoever to the imagination in sex scenes - The actors may just as well be actually having intercourse. Maybe they are? Children can access this, & worse, on their computers.

I understand that we do not encourage the sexualisation of children, & 14 is still a child to my mind, although I imagine that 14 year olds would probably not agree with me. I do find this current case worrying on many levels though. 

Why do we have this prudish & negative attitude to our bodies? What is so offensive about being naked? There are only two variables, male & female, but we do come in different shapes & sizes. 

If  children are curious about their bodies, isn't this normal & part of growing up? Maybe parents should be asking themselves whether they have given their children an informed, healthy & sensible attitude to nudity. Is nudity accepted as a "normal" part of family life? If not, why not? Because if healthy attitudes are not fostered within the family, who else should be doing it? It's too late by the time children get to school. Do we really want our kids educated by schoolyard smut & gossip?

I feel very sorry for this young boy. I can't imagine what harm this media feeding frenzy has done to him. The police have been heavy handed. His mother has ensured that he can't escape continued embarassment in this social media age. He was silly, but aren't you allowed to be silly & make mistakes at his age?