A good reason NOT to use those "private nursing areas" in malls

Breastfeeding mother groped in mall

In Australia, a mom of a newborn was approached and sexually assaulted by some sicko in one of those "family rooms" that "breastfeeding friendly" retail locations are becoming increasingly fond of. (granted, the baby was a WEEK OLD and Mama may have still been adjusting to the whole task of breastfeeding and desired the extra privacy, and this particular instance the room is also a baby changing room so she may have just been multitasking - frequently right after needing to be changed a newborn needs to nurse, after all, so I totally give her the benefit of the doubt)

Think about it, if she'd been sitting out in a chair in the middle of the mall, would this have happened? Most likely not, or at least someone could have come to her aid sooner.

If malls really want to have those separate areas, they need to make them MUCH more secure for moms out by themselves, such as by stationing a security guard nearby and/or having cameras WITH AUDIO that someone is PAYING ATTENTION TO installed, in case of such an event. The one example locally of such a separate room that I can call to mind (Great Northern Mall, North Olmsted, Ohio) is set WAY back down a LONG, infrequently used by non-parents hallway between a major department store and the side of some other stores. A woman screaming for help in such a place would only be heard if someone happened to be in the hallway about to enter, or possibly through the wall to the store next to the room, but would they know where the call was coming from? Would they react? The social psychologist in me knows human nature too well to think they would jump to the rescue, even if they DID realize where the call for help was coming from - human nature assumes "someone else" will do it, especially in a place with paid security staff.

This is why I will NEVER use one of those rooms off all by themselves, without another adult with me. Too vulnerable. I'd rather nurse right out in the open in the middle of the main hallway where the staff can see if someone is harrassing or ASSAULTING me! And I'll change diapers in the regular restroom, thankyouverymuch, which have much higher traffic than those special rooms do. Even at Babies R Us kind of stores. THIS is why we need to demistify breastfeeding and work to make it common and acceptable to do it in public instead of locked off in "private" areas.