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Social Nudity is Nudity in private and Public Spaces . It is sometimes controversial for addressing, challenging and exploring a myriad of sometimes Taboo subjects, Stereotype s and Mores relating to the Nude appearance of the Human Body , mixed gender nudity, Personal Space , Human Sexuality , Gymnophobia , Modesty , Physical Attractiveness , Vanity , Objectification , Exploitation and Consent . LABELS, ASSOCIATIONS AND TERMINOLOGY For other terminology relating to social nudity, see Naturism#Terminology The terms Naturism , ''' Nudism ''' and '''social nudity''' are generally defined as the practice of going Nude , especially in a mixed social setting. The terms naturism and nudism generally also mean that the activities are done in non- Sex ualized, Family-friendly contexts. The usage and definition of these terms varies geographically and historically. Those who practice naturism are called ''naturists'', those who practice nudism are called ''nudists''. The term nudist is more widely familiar in North America, however naturism is also widely used. A naturist is sometimes defined as an individual who prefers a more natural setting for their nude or clothing-optional activities--such as a beach, a lake, the woods, or the mountains. They tend to be less "joiners" than are nudists. Within the naturist and nudist movements, many people prefer to adopt only one label or the other. Others do not bother or like adopting labels or are not familiar with the terminology enough to make a deliberate and informed association. In the traditional view, the nudist in the U.S. is a person who seeks out organized social settings for the practice of the nudist philosophy. That usually takes the form of membership in a landed or nonlanded nudist club, with a well-defined system of conduct and social structure. It is believed to be a predictable environment which offers the participants the safety that comes with facilities for secluded, lawful nudity (without the threat of legal action or observation by outsiders seeking to view them for prurient purposes). Some political contention exists between the traditional nudist and the naturist within the national organizations that represent clothing optional recreation for lobbying purposes. The former seek to maintain the ''status quo'' while the later push for expansion of beaches and other outdoor facilities and their designation as clothing optional. Naturists in America tend to be more supportive of Public Nudity than do nudists, who generally focus more on landed and non-landed clubs. Social nudity without labels or with alternative terminology Many people casually enjoy social nudity without adhering to any term and without associating with any traditional naturist, nudist or FKKK organization or any other groups or movements. That is common, for example on Nude Beaches and other forms of Public Nudity , such as seen at cultural events like Burning Man or Clothing-optional Bike Rides . Several activists, such as Vincent Bethell , claim that associations with naturism or nudism are unnecessary. Activist Daniel Johnson believes that labels and affiliations overly complicate a relatively simple phenomena, alienate others from a fear of over-commitment or undesireable stereotypes, and thus get in the way of integrating nudity into everday life. Naturists and nudists counter that associating with established terms and philosophies such as nudism and naturism makes it easier to understand a common set of priniples and values. NUDITY IN PUBLIC See: Public Nudity SEXUALITY Many who have not practiced social nudity believe that nudity in a social setting is sexually stimulating and arousing, whether they think that's good or bad. Some naturists and nudists will counter-claim that there is more sexual tension in the scantily clad environment of a Pool or a Beach than at a nude site. The latter also argue that so much nudity quickly causes it to become routine, so that simple nudity by itself is insufficient to have much sexual effect. Children, social nudity, sexual awareness and maturity ''See also: Child Sexuality .'' Many also say that social nudity also helps them and their children to mature in their sexual attitudes, to be able to see nudity and sexuality in a more realistic light, and thus to be able to relate to others with fewer sexual "hang-ups". Involvement in naturism has not been shown to be harmful to childhood psychological development. {Link without Title} Parents always need to be vigilant to guard their children against sexual predators and other problems. That applies equally to contexts of social nudity and other clothed activities. Recently, to avoid legal problems, some resorts and clubs in the USA forbid bringing minor children from other families without written permission in advance. A few even exclude children of divorced parents without the written consent of the other ex-spouse (unless they can prove full custody). That does not apply to public beaches. Voluntary and involuntary erections The possibility of getting an Erection is a concern often cited by males who are apprehensive of social nudity, but pracitioneers do not consider that fear to be realistic or a reason for avoiding participation. Erections are rare, it seems, because the family-oriented social nudity environment is generally non-sexualized. Some suggest that the fear of getting an erection is itself a major factor preventing erections. Responding to erections Should an erection occur, one can simply cover up, jump into the pool, take a shower, etc. until it subsides. Flaunting an erection is not allowed in an organised nude group. Many consider it lewd. Others do not mind personally, but don't want to let such behaviour diminish their ranks. Many practioneers of social nudity do not want men to openly present their Erection (whether voluntary or spontaneous). However, some believe it should be included as a part of "body acceptance" — a key philosophy of nudists. That has been the subject of much debate in nudist/naturist Internet Forum s. Rarely, for some Activities (e.g. Water Skiing or dancing), hiding an erection might be difficult. In such cases some forms of Etiquette suggests that it then be ignored by others. Public nude beaches tend to be less strict on this issue than private Resort s, however flaunting erections is still considered to be sexually motivated behavior and is discouraged. There is generally more Tolerant of spontaneous erection in pre-pubescent and Pubescent Boy s than in older Teens and men because at that age they are more likely to get spontaneous erections. Sexual stimulation Sexual stimulation, whether direct or indirect, is not acceptable, Masturbation in public or in the view of others usually being strictly forbidden. Touching or massaging of another's genitals could cause sexual stimulation, and so is similarly restricted. It is usually acceptable to apply suntan lotion to another's body, including a woman's Breasts and buttocks, as long as the intent or effect is not noticeable sexual stimulation. Overt consensual sexual activity Social nudity organizations widely maintain and enforce a policy prohibiting Sex in view of others, and many non-sexualized social nudity groups describe themselves as Family -oriented. Organised Sexual Activity does occur at some renegade private establishments, but the main naturist and nudist organizations tend to distance themselves from them. Usually the established, registered clubs have strict codes against freer sexuality, which is not popular enough to hold sway in very many places. MANNERS Participants in social nudity say that the attendees are generally very well-behaved, as well or better than in non-nudist or non-naturist settings. Because some problems are discussed in these articles does not mean that they occur frequently. Appropriate dress Nudists will wear clothes if the Weather or indoor temperature demands it. Naturists generally consider themselves to be accepting people, the general idea being simply to do things nude that one would normally do clothed. However, nudist culture has its own rules of etiquette, though they vary among the groups and sites. Generally, nude groups accept people of all races, ages, sizes, and shapes, including those with amputations, Scar s, Tattoo s or trimmed (or absence of) Hair . Recently some "smoothie" organizations have expressed a preference for members to completely shave or remove all pubic hair, as some believe that having pubic hair does not leave that body completety nude. For them, for some reason, facial and head hair are acceptable. Such an official suggestion is, however, rare. Some nudist resorts, clubs, or beaches have the " Undress Code " of full nudity at all times (with exceptions, such as cold weather, a woman experiencing Menstruation , or certain days or hours for new visitors). Most have that policy only for the Swimming Pool , Sauna , Jacuzzi , hot tub bath, etc., with clothing optional elsewhere. If a visitor encourages another visitor to be nude, that might give rise to suspicion that nudity is desired for visual satisfaction, which might not be tolerated. Hygiene Some individuals consider it essential for health to sit on a Towel whenever sitting on a chair, bench, or anything else where others might sit, and they consider it very poor etiquette to do otherwise. Likewise, sitting on someone else's towel is also a breach of etiquette. Similar etiquette would also be followed in Clothing-optional Bike Rides . Often in situations involving shared use of pools, spas, or sauna, participants are asked to shower first to minimize the contimination of the water and prolong the amount of time the water pool can be used without changing the water and/or the chemistry. Documentation For Privacy reasons, photographing anyone without consent is restricted at many nude Venue s by law or custom. Many such restrictions require that parents must be consulted regarding documenting of their minor children. Venue-specific restrictions Other rules can include a prohibition on pets, weapons, loud music, etc. Such policies vary between nude sites, so attendees are advised to learn them prior to a visit. Staring Gawking is often discouraged, if not by rule, then by social pressure. DIVERSITY Gender Social nudity usually attracts more men than women. Many of those organizations which want more of a balance, therefore, do not allow unaccompanied men, and might even encourage unaccompanied women. Other groups have quotas. Whether that is hypocritical of a subculture which promotes acceptance is a topic often debated. Some organizations say that they do not discriminate based on gender, but merely require a balance in the numbers of men and women. Ethnicity Social nudity usually attracts more people of European ethnic backgrounds than those of Native American and West African ethnic groups. This may be due to the fact that social nudity became a social movement in Europe, before spreading to other parts of the world. Age It has been noted that many naturist and nudist clubs have a noticeable lack of young members in their ranks. {Link without Title} However, growing participation in public nudity activities such as Clothing-optional Bike Rides offer some hope that younger generations are increasing becoming interested in at least one aspect of social nudity. CHILDREN 2001 on June 14, 2001 in Karlsruhe . Two children participated in this ride, which is fairly uncommon in other Naked Cycling Events .]] See also #Sexuality (on this page) and Attitudes toward the nudity of Child ren vary substantially, depending on the child's age and the context of the nudity. Among some people they have changed noticeably since the mid 20th Century , largely due to increasing concerns about Sexual Abuse Of Children . One of the more traditional attitudes regards children who have not yet reached Puberty (or perhaps a younger age) as essentially Asexual , and treats their nudity as harmless. This is most commonly true of infants, who are often depicted nude without negative social connotation. The work of Anne Geddes , for example, often depicts nude infants in scenes that would be considered in quite a different light if the children were several years older. In some cultures, it may be acceptable for male children to be seen nude by females, but not vice versa. This was formerly the practice in parts of the rural United States, for example. In many places children are taught to never to be seen nude by those of the Opposite Sex (especially of the same approximate age). In these circumstances, children would be ashamed or very embarrassed if anyone (except perhaps a parent, sibling, or other close relative) of the opposite sex saw them nude. They may even be subject to giggling and teasing by clothed children of similar culture. However, children of this age may also be motivated by their curiosity to covertly expose themselves to a child of the other gender in exchange for them doing the same ("I'll show you mine if you show me yours"). This attitude toward nudity and gender separatism usually peaks at about age nine, later very gradually changing to allow for a sexual partner to eventually see them nude. Increasing awareness of the fact that children are sexually abused has created a partial backlash in developed countries against the general trend toward increasing acceptance of public nudity, especially of children. In some cases, ''any'' public nudity of a person under the Age Of Consent might be accused of being abusive. Perhaps coincidentally, Swimwear fashions for children have become less revealing over this same time period. On the other hand, many parents believe nudity is both physically and emotionally healthy for children. They make no issue of their children seeing either each other or their parents in the nude in everyday domestic situations, such as taking shower etc. They will also often allow, and sometimes even encourage, their children to play together in the nude when it is appropriate to do so, for example in the paddling pool on a hot day, or on the beach. Very often they will allow this to continue until the child's natural modesty takes over, usually at around 7 years old although this can vary. Studies have also shown that nudity in very young children also helps with Toilet Training . in a small metal Bathtub ]] In some countries, most notably the Czech Republic , it is commonplace for young school-children to participate in nude swimming, spa and sauna sessions as part of their school's physical education curriculum. However, across the World, debates are unresolved about the acceptability of child nudity. Many practioneers of social nudity do not believe that nudity harms children or otherwise promotes abuse (assuming the child has no qualms about it). In virtually all cases of childhood sexual abuse, both the victim and their abuser were of clothed culture. It is being away from public view and secrecy -- not nudity -- which leads to abuse, they say. Any male who shows arousal at children can easily be identified within an all nudist setting; whereas in a clothed environment it would be much more difficult. Furthermore, they believe children of clothed culture tend to have curiosities about the nude body and sex that naturist children do not have. Whether depiction of child nudity is considered inappropriate varies, see also Nudity In Art . There have been incidents in which snapshots taken by parents of their infant or toddler children bathing or otherwise naked were destroyed or turned over to law enforcement as Child Pornography . In New Zealand photographs of naked minors in Newspaper s and Magazine s were once socially acceptable, but would invoke horror and revulsion amongst the readership if published today. HANDLING INCIDENTS OF SEXUAL ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION , 1983.]] One of Nikki Craft 's major projects involved researching and publishing reports of Pedophilia and Child Molestation within the Nudist / Naturist movement, and of the leadership's failure to address those issues. She contends that the American Association For Nude Recreation (AANR) and The Naturist Society (TNS) have not done enough to Investigate offenders, remove offenders, report offenders to law enforcement, establish even one single national policy, or modify club procedures for dealing with problem behaviors and abuse. She cites that prominent figureheads such as Ed Lange , editor of the monthly magazine of the American Sunbathing Association (ASA) (now AANR ) have histories of involvement in Child Pornography . Another example is William D. Peckenpaugh, author of ''Familial and Societal Attitudes Toward Nudity, and the Effects on Children’s Development'' who was charged with multiple Sex Crimes with a child. This reporting was initially published in her newsletter "The Iconoclast", and now appear on her website, Nudist/Naturist Hall of Shame . While many naturists and nudists acknowledge problems in the community, many believe Nikki Craft seems bent on inciting an unnecessary amount of Fear into peoples' minds about what they believe is a safe, family-friendly activity. Her critics contend that many private clubs do check the criminal histories of visitors to make sure they do not have documented histories of criminal activity that would be of concern in a family-oriented community. They also point out that Sexual Predators are everywhere in society and all must be equally vigilant to making sure that both individuals and organizations take initiative in establishing protections against abuse and exploitation. Craft counters that the fact that sexual predators exist elsewhere in society is no excuse for the fact that nudist/naturist leadership fail to take easy and commonsense measures to protect the children in the movement, and that she has documented this failing in exhaustive detail. FURTHER READING
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