Letter: Anti-male bias won't help our children

OH DEAR] In response to your request for views about men working with children, too many respondents rehearse depressingly separatist arguments. I am especially outraged by the assertion that: 'It (child care) is a most unusual career for a young man to choose.' I didn't think so when I started my training in child psychology. Keith Pringle is closer to something sensible when he writes of 'balancing' the rights of children and childcare workers.

Along with rights come responsibilities, especially for the adults: to work together to better understand the dynamics of child sexual abuse; to support and supervise workers of whatever gender who are physically closest to the anger and confusion the abused child brings; to challenge societal forces that perpetuate the power imbalance between gender and so institutionalise sexual abuse.

Creating a separatist 'utopia' in childcare is avoiding the issue.

Ian Frampton

Hospital for Sick Children

London W1