Children in Hospital.

[MissFM]

Re: Childs right to dignity.

I have just been informed of a situation where a mature 15-year-old child in hospital had their bathing and toilet needs attended to on occasion by a member of the opposite gender. When the child asked for a person of the same gender the comment was dismissed as being silly..

There was no suggestion of any impropriety but does a child have any rights in this matter and are there not safeguarding issues to be considered?.

Equality laws of course require that if a female can attend to a boy then a male must be able to attend to a girl.)

One comment I would like to make here (and it's not made lightly) is that you really can't assume that same gender supervision will preclude abuse.

The key thing is for someone who genuinely cares to find out whether the child in question is comfortable with being attended by a particular person - whatever the gender - and to respect their wishes.

All children know who creeps them out and trying to find an avenue whereby they're not too intimidated to say that is IMVHO the way forward.

I also agree with the posters above who say that abusive individuals are exceptionally rare - but the results of their actions are so devastating that The System needs to make their operation impossible.