Part of our school counseling curriculum includes lessons designed to spark discussion with students about ways to keep their bodies safe and advocate for themselves. Over the past two teaching cycles, Mrs. Wright and Miss Lynn have been chatting with the students about the following:
Always Ask First Rule
“Always ask a parent or the person in charge first before going somewhere, doing something, or accepting something from someone.”
Recognize, Refuse, Report -
Recognize if a touch is safe, unsafe, or unwanted
Refuse that touch - say no and get away
Report to a safe and trusted adult
Private Body Parts/Touching Rule - while we do not currently use or teach medical terminology around this rule at this time, we encourage you to do so at home as it creates a sense of competence in children should they ever need to report a situation.
Safe touches: make you feel loved and uncomfortable
Unsafe touches: hurt your body physically and make you feel uncomfortable
Unwanted touches: touching that makes your body feel uncomfortable (like a hug, or someone playing with your hair)
Safe adults: Adults you know will believe you and help you if you are reporting a problem
The focus of these lessons is understanding our bodies belong to us and we have the right to be safe. Below please find some questions you might want to use to ask your child to encourage discussion around this topic:
For Younger Students:
Can you give me examples of safe, unsafe, and unwanted touches?
Name 3 safe adults at school and at home
Can you name the 3Rs of keeping our bodies safe? (Recognize, Refuse, Report)
Can you tell me about the private body parts rule?
How do you say no? (stand tall, look them in the eye, keep your own personal space from the other person, and say your words firmly) What are other ways to say no?
For Older Students:
Can you give me examples of safe, unsafe, and unwanted touches?
How do you know if someone is a safe adult? What kinds of things do safe adults do?
Can you name the 3Rs of keeping our bodies safe? (Recognize, Refuse, Report)
What are some ways you can respectfully communicate about an unwanted touch with a family member (example, a sibling, a family member you don’t often see)
Can you tell me about the private body parts rule?
What steps should you take if something inappropriate unexpectedly comes up while you are doing a search on the internet?
If someone is asking you to keep a secret about unsafe or unwanted touches, what can you do?
