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SOURCES OF NUDISM RESEARCH

One of the most common activities of the nudist community is defending our lifestyle from anti-nudity society.  Those include radical fundamentalist religious groups; politicians following money and "appearances" instead of good judgement, justice, and equal treatment; overbearing parental groups trying to protect their kids from anything that doesn't agree 100% with their own lifestyle; textile and fashion industries trying to protect their wealth by denouncing the non-use of clothing; radio and TV personalities who claim to be experts who know what's best for us; and those who use the already-overused blanket argument of "moral values" against anything they consider "alternative".  The biggest pet peeve of nudists, especially me, is that the anti-nudist community often quotes invalid or nonexistent studies, usually just their common misperceptions and myths, as "factual proof" to uphold their claims against nudity.  The unanswered questions are "What study, when and where was it done, and who did it?"  I have yet to see an actual study that says nudity is wrong and harmful to anybody, whether adult or child.

The common defending response from nudists describes how there have been numerous studies that prove nudity is not only harmless, but highly beneficial.  Again, there is the argument of "what study, where, when, and by who?"  Well, here is a very good, extensive list of studies and their sources, regarding nudism, nudity, gender and sexuality, breasts, child development, and more.  Great credit goes to the author who complied all these studies together in this list.  Special thanks also goes to Cyndiann, who posted this list in Netnude; I never knew this list existed.  Another good source of references is in the bibliography of "205 Arguments and Observations in Support of Naturism", at the Naturist Society.

SEE THE AUTHOR'S ORIGINAL LIST HERE: http://home.att.net/~wdpeck/biblio.htm
SEE THE AUTHOR'S HOME PAGE NATURIST SECTION: http://home.att.net/~wdpeck/p_links.htm
The family naturism section is right below the Christian naturism section. Includes some links and reviews of studies.

Aquilino, M.L., & Ely, J. (1985). Parents and the sexuality of preschool children. Pediatric Nursing. 11(4), 41-46. [Children's sexuality, parental knowledge and responses]

Baxandall, L. (Ed.). (1985). Family Naturism. Clothed With the Sun 5(2), 36-45. [Various aspects of family naturism; different from 1989 CwS article]

Baxandall, L. (Ed.). (1989). Family Naturism. Clothed With the Sun 9(1), 66-69. [Review of family nudism materials and publications; different from 1985 CwS article]

Baxandall, L. (Ed.). (1989). When is children's nudity 'natural'? N: Nude & Natural 9(2), 86-93. [Several articles on children, nudism/nudity, and society]

Baxandall, L. (Ed.) (1997). Clothes "R" Us. N: Nude & Natural 16(3), 42-45. [Children's nudity in YMCA locker rooms; adult reactions]

Berry, C. (Ed.) (1988). Our Bodies. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, Inc. [Introductory anatomy and physiology for children; body-friendly illustrations]

Bishop, K. (1990). Photos of Nude Children Spark Obscenity Debate. The New York Times July 23, p A8. [Photographing nude children; censorship]

Booth, M. (1993). Parental influence on adult sexual anxiety. Dissertation Abstracts International 53(11), B6035.

Bowman, P.M. (1989). When is nude lewd? Clothed With the Sun 9(1), 70-78. ["The question of lust in nudity"; much information on teens' sexuality and nudism]

Brenner, B. (1973). Bodies. New York: E.P. Dutton. [Bodies, gender differences & similarities. Intended for children]

Calderone, M.S., & Johnson, E.W. (1989). The Family Book About Sexuality. New York: Harper & Row. [Intended for parents & children]

Chamberlin, R.W. (1974). Counseling parents about children's sex games. Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality 8(12), 45-46. [Childhood sex games, parental response]

Cohn, D.S. (1991). Anatomical doll play of preschoolers referred for sexual abuse and those not referred. Child Abuse & Neglect 15, 455-466. [Use of (nude) anatomical dolls in sexual abuse interviewing; pitfalls, suggestions, "false positive" responses]

Corty, J. (1992). The end of innocence: Child pornography must be abolished, but prohibiting parents from photographing their kids won't stop the real abusers. Parenting June/July, 64-65. [Nudity, children, censorship, overzealous prosecution]

DeGoede, D.L. (1985). Social nudism and body concept. Dissertation Abstracts International 45(12), B3993-94. [Body concept, social nudists]

Docherty, J. (1986). Growing Up: A guide for children and parents. Dunstable, U.K.: Waterlow Ltd. [Growth, reproduction, sexuality. Explicit: intended for late pre-teens & teens]

Douglas, J.D., Rasmussen, P.K., & Flanagan, C.A. (1977). The nude beach. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. [Sociology/anthropology, nude beaches, law]

Downs, J. (1990). Nudity in Japanese visual media: A cross-cultural observation. Archives of Sexual Behavior 19(6), 583-585. [Japanese attitudes towards nudity]

Finch, S.M. (1982). Viewing other-sex genitals. Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality 16(1), 72. [Sibling nudity, modesty]

Fishel, E. (1992). Raising sexually healthy kids. Parents September, 110-116.

Fleischhauer-Hardt, H. (photography by Will McBride) (1975). Show Me!: A picture book of sex for children and parents. New York: St. Martin's Press. [A controversial & hard-to-find book; explicit photos & captions taken from the people being photographed. Intended for children & parents]

Fraley, M.C. (1991). Early genital naming. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. 12(5), 301-304. [Most children are taught "cute" names for genitals, or none at all. Why not just call a penis a penis?!?]

Gardner, R.A. (1975). Exposing children to parental nudity. Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality 9(6), 99-100. [Modesty, family nudity, effects on children]

Gibson, J.T. (1990). When toddlers touch themselves. Parents February, 178. [Toddlers' sexuality; parental comfort & responses]

Ginsberg, A., & Richey, J. (1990). The Right to Depict Children in the Nude. Aperture Fall, 41-49. [Photographing nude children]

Glass, D.B. (1989). Created By God: About human sexuality for older girls and boys. Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House. [Intended for pre-teens & early teens]

Goldman, R.J. & Goldman, J.D. (1981). Children's perceptions of clothes and nakedness: A cross-national study. Genetic Psychology Monographs 104(2), 163-85. [Children's attitudes to clothes, modesty]

Goldman, R.J., & Goldman, J.D. (1988). Show Me Yours!: Understanding children's sexuality. New York: Penguin Books. [Intended for parents, teachers, care-givers]

Goldstein, M., & Haeberle, E.J. (photography by Will McBride). (1971). The Sex Book: A modern pictorial encyclopedia. New York: Herder & Herder. [Comprehensive photo guide to sexuality. Extremely hard to locate. Intended for all audiences]

Gomi, T. (1993). Everyone Poops. Brooklyn, NY: Kane/ Miller Book Publishers. [Body functions - defecation; body-friendly. Intended ffor toddlers & young children]

Goodson, A. (1991). Therapy, Nudity & Joy. Los Angeles: Elysium Growth Press. [Body shame: its origins, development, and overcoming it]

Gordinier, J. (1987). Does Ann Landers have it right when she tells readers that parental nudity is seduction? Raleigh [NC] News & Observer July 14. [Parental/family nudity; family and societal attitudes]

Gordon, B.N., et al. (1990). Children's knowledge of sexuality: A comparison of sexually abused and nonabused children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 60, 250-257. [Children's sexual/body awareness; (lack of) differences in abused and nonabused children]

Gordon, S. (1979). Girls Are Girls and Boys Are Boys: So what's the difference? New York: Prometheus Books. [Gender identification, sexuality, gender roles. Intended for pre-teens]

Granfield, M. (1996). The Molester Within. Feedline
http://www.feedmag.com/96.06granfield/96.06granfield.html ["The panic over child sexuality"]

Harris, R.H. (1994). It's Perfectly Normal. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press. [Changing bodies, growing up, sex, & sexual health. Intended for pre-teens & teens]

Hartman, W.E., Fithian, M., & Johnson, D. (1970). Nudist society: An authoritative, complete study of nudism in America. New York: Crown.

Hentoff, N. (1984). This Is Child Porn? The Washington Post August 2, A15. [Photographing nude children; censorship; societal debate]

Hibbard, R.A. (1990). Genitalia in human figure drawings: childrearing practices and child sexual abuse. Journal of Pediatrics. 116(5), 822-8. [Similar patterns of child-rearing practices in both abused & non-abused children should make professionals cautious in attributing allegations of abuse to specific child-rearing practices, such as family nudism/nudity]

Hunter, J.E. (1997). The Curiosity Book. Plymouth, VT: Five Corners Publications, Ltd. [Positive attitudes, healthy habits, and useful information about the human body; body-friendly text and photos; intended for toddlers to late pre-teens/early-teens]

Ingoglia, G. (1987). Look Inside Your Body. New York: Grosset & Dunlap. [Anatomy; gender differences & similarities. Intended for young children & pre-teens]

Jackson, S. (1982). Childhood and Sexuality. Oxford, England: Basil Blackwell Publisher, Ltd. [Intended for parents, teachers, & caregivers]

Jaeger, E. (1989). The Regulation of Non-Obscene Nude Photography of Children. Boston College Law Review March, 614-620. [Photographing nude children; censorship; societal debate]

Jennings, D.A. (1994). Baby Brendon's Busy Day: A sexuality primer. Tallahassee, FL: Goose Pond Publishing. [Sexuality education, naming body parts; intended for toddlers & young children]

Katz, L. (1989). Nudity at home. Parents May, 208.

Klass, P. (1994). Decent exposure. Parenting May, 98-104. [Breastfeeding in public]

Leight, L. (1988). Raising Sexually Healthy Children: A loving guide for parents, teachers, and care-givers. New York: Avon Books.

LeValley, P. (1997). All-American Boyhood. Naturally 25[Winter 97-98], 11-13. [A review of children's nudity in classic American literature and art]

Lewis, R.J. & Janda, L.H. (1988). The relationship between adult sexual adjustment and childhood experiences regarding exposure to nudity, sleeping in the parental bed, and parental attitudes toward sexuality. Archives of Sexual Behavior 17(4), 349-62.[Parental/sibling nudity, parental bed, communication about sexuality, sexual attitudes]

Loam, J. (Ed.) (1987). Body/Self Appreciation Los Angeles: Elysium Growth Press. [Body self-concept; nudism education; family & social nudism]

Lonberger, C. (1997). The Benefits of Social Nudity. Naturally 25[Winter 97-98], 6-8. [A lay review of the literature on the psychosocial benefits of social nudity]

Markey, J. (1987). The Teens & Nudity. Clothed With the Sun 7(3), 45. [Teenagers and social nudity]

McClure, N. & Burton, J. (1989). A Baby's Story. New York: Fireside Books. [Photographic account of a baby's first year; very body friendly photos and text]

Montagu, A. (1971). Touching. New York: Harper & Row. [Sensory development, sensuality, society]

Montagu, A. (1992). Nudity & body acceptance. N: Nude & Natural 12(1), 13-21. [Nudity and touch throughout the human lifespan]

Morton, B. (1995). Kids banned from Austin's Hippie Hollow. N: Nude & Natural 15(1), 92-97. [Local officials bend to reactionary "conservatives" in banning children from a popular nude beach]

Myers, W.A. (1989). The traumatic element in the typical dream of feeling embarrassed at being naked. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association 37(1), 117-30.

Nanao, J. (1995). Contemplating Your Bellybutton. Brooklyn, NY: Kane/Miller Book Publishers. [Anatomy - navels; basic sexuality; body-friendly. Intended for toddlers & young children]

Noble, E., & Sorger, L. (1994). The Joy of Being a Boy. Harwich, MA: New Life Images. [Intact (uncircumcised) penis "primer" for boys and their parents; body-friendly text & photos]

O'Brien, P. (1992). Abuse of children. N: Nude & Natural 11(3), 104. [Fallacy of nudist children being more at risk for abuse]

Okami, P., Olmstead, R., Abramson, P., & Pendleton, L. (1998). Early childhood exposure to parental nudity and scenes of parental sexuality ("primal scenes"): an 18-year longitudinal study of outcome. Archives of Sexual Behavior 27(4), 361-384. [This is a pretty stunning article: further analysis of Okami's prior research (see below), this pretty conclusively establishes that parental/family nudity is not harmful to children. There are also findings of benefits to children's self-esteem, body self-concept.]

Okami, P., Olmstead, R., & Abramson, P. (1997). Sexual experience in early childhood: 18-year longitudinal data from the UCLA family lifestyles project. The Journal of Sex Research 34(4) 339-347.

Okami, P. (1995). Childhood Exposure to Parental Nudity, Parent-Child Co-Sleeping, and "Primal Scenes": A Review of Clinical Opinion and Empirical Evidence. Journal of Sex Research 32(1) 51+

Owsley, S. (1997). Family Values. Naturally 25[Winter 97-98], 40. [A short inspirational article on unconditional love and children]

Pacer, B. (1997). America's Nudist Poster Dad Experiences the Horror of Singledom. N: Nude & Natural 16(3), 72-76. [Nudist single parents' difficulties]

Peckenpaugh, W. (1998). Social nudism: The effects on children. N: Nude & Natural 17(4), 42-47. [OK, it is a bit circular, but this is my review of the literature as presented in print.]

Perry, S.K. (1992). I'll show you mine. Parenting October, 187. [Children's sexuality; sex play]

Pomerleau, A., et al. (1990). Pink or blue: Environmental gender stereotypes in the first two years of life. Sex Roles 22, 359-367. [Infants' clothing; gender stereotypes; environmental variables]

Quindlen, A. (1993). Where's Waldo's Breast? New York Times Saturday, April 10. [Attitudes toward nudity, censorship, children]

Quindlen, A. (photography by Nick Kelsh) (1996). Naked Babies. New York: Penguin Books. [Photo book: naked babies! Intended as a picture book/gift book for expecting or new parents, but also a good book to share with children]

Rubin, I., & Kirkendall, L.A. (1970). Sex in the Childhood Years. New York: Association Press. [Intended for parents, teachers, & care-givers]

Schatz, H. (1996). Newborn. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. [Photo book: naked newborn babies. Intended as a picture book/gift book for expecting or new parents, but also a good book to share with children]

Schloss, M. (1989). Growing Up. Clothed With the Sun 8(4), 36. [Review of the book "Growing Up" by James Docherty; listed in this index]

Schoen, M. (1990). Bellybuttons Are Navels. Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books. [Naming body parts, body comfort. Intended for young children]

Sendak, M. (1970). In the Night Kitchen. New York: Harper and Row. [Illustrated children's book. Body-friendly: the hero is nude in much of the book, in a natural and positive manner]

Shelley, S.I. (1981). Adolescent attitudes as related to perception of parents and sex education. Journal of Sex Research 17(4), 350-67. [Correlation of parental liberality and adolescent liberality]

Shop Talk: Collection of parenting experiences. (1987). Nursing: Anytime, anywhere. Number 7.

Shop Talk: Collection of parenting experiences. (1988). Nursing in public. Number 16.

Smallman, C. (1986). Outside-in. New York: Barron's. [Anatomy; naming body parts; body-friendly. Intended for young children]

Smith, D.C., Sparks, W., & Kurstin-Young, C. (1986). The naked child: Growing up without shame. Los Angeles: Elysium Growth Press. [Effects of being raised in nudist families]

Smith, H.W. (1980). A modest test of cross-cultural differences in sexual modesty, embarrassment and self disclosure. Qualitative Sociology 3(3), 223-41. [French nudism, German nudism]

Smith, H.W. (1980). Does shedding one's clothes imply shedding one's culture? A cross-cultural test of nudism claims. International Review of Modern Sociology 10(2), 255-68. [French nudism, German nudism]

Stinson. K. (1986). The Bare Naked Book. Toronto: Annick Press. [Body comfort & acceptance; naming body parts. Intended for toddlers & young children]

Stoppard, M. (1997). Questions Children Ask & How To Answer Them. London: Dorling Kindersley Ltd. 20-25. [Family nudity; gender differences in anatomy]

Story, M.D. (1984). Comparisons of body self-concept between social nudists and nonnudists. Journal of Psychology 118(1), 99-112. [Body self-concept, adult nudists]

Story, M.D. (1979). Factors associated with more positive body self-concepts in preschool children. Journal of Social Psychology 108(1), 49-56. [Body self-concept, preschool children]

Story, M.D. (1987). A comparison of social nudists and non-nudists on experience with various sexual outlets. Journal of Sex Research 23(2), 197-211. [Adult social nudists, sexual experience]

Story, M.D. (1993). Personal and professional perspectives on social nudism: Should you be personally involved in your research? Journal of Sex Research 29(2?), 111+

Sussman, S.A. (1977). Body disclosure and self-disclosure -- relating two modes of interpersonal encounter. Journal of Clinical Psychology. 33(4), 1146-1148. [People who participated in a social nudity experience reported it as a "peak experience," and tended to like themselves better after the experience than the control group who did not have this experience]

Udesky, L. (1990). When Innocence is Called Obscene. The Progressive September, 13. [Photographing nude children; censorship; societal debate]

Underwager, R., & Wakefield, H. (1993). Antisexuality and Child Sexual Abuse. Issues in Child Abuse Accusations 5(2), 72-22.
Online: http://www.tc.umn.edu/nlhome/g012/under006/Library/Antisexuality.html [Antisexual attitudes in society; effects on children, families, society]

Vingerhoets, A., & Buunk, B. (1987). Attitudes towards nudist and public beaches: Some evidence of dissonance reduction and gender differences. Journal of Leisure Research, 19(1), 13-21. [Nudist attitudes toward wearing bathing attire]

Vivona, C.M., & Gomillion, M. (1972). Situational morality of bathroom nudity. Journal of Sex Research 8(2), 128-35. [Reactions to nudity in dorm bathrooms]

Waxman, S. (1976). What is a Girl? What is a Boy? New York: Thomas Y. Crowell. [Gender identity, anatomical differences, sex roles. Intended for pre-teens]

Wise, N. (1991). When kids take it all off. Parenting December/January, 145.

Yagyu, G. (1999). Breasts. Brooklyn, NY: Kane/Miller Book Publishers. [Why do women have breasts? Why do men have nipples? For preschoolers to pre-teens.]

Yates, A. (1978). Sex Without Shame: Encouraging the Child's Healthy Sexual Development. New York: William Morrow and Company. [Intended for parents, teachers, and care-givers]

Young, T. (1991). Empower the youth: How to start a naturist youth group. N: Nude & Natural 10(4), 97-101. [Children's naturism/ nudism in organized groups]


resources: http://home.att.net/~wdpeck/biblio.htm

©2000 W.D. Peckenpaugh