Sharing a hug or kiss with someone starts with loving feelings inside. When you don’t have those feelings, hugging and kissing should not be expected. You have a right to say no to touching or being touched by someone. A person’s control over his or her own body is personal and private no matter how old he or she is and should be respected by all.
Although most grown-ups you know are nice people who care about and respect children, there are a few who do things to harm kids. One bad thing they may do is treat children in a sexual way which is behavior that should only take place among grown-ups who have a special love relationship. It is never okay for a grown-up to treat a child like this, under any circumstance. It is against the law.
If someone ever touches your body in a way that invades your personal privacy, you should tell a trusted grown-up at once. Sometimes telling someone about it is hard to do, though, because you may have confused feelings about the situation. Maybe the touching gives you an uneasy feeling, but the attention it brings makes you feel special. Maybe you get treats or presents if you agree to touch or be touched, and you like those, too. And sometimes you might feel afraid because you know that if you tell what’s going on, a lot more trouble will start.
Still, touching between people should be a happy thing. If it makes you feel confused or bad, then you know it isn’t right. If for some reason the adult that you go to for help doesn’t believe your story, tell it to someone else. Keep on telling until the person who is touching you has been stopped. Molesting a child is an awful thing, so a lot of people will be very upset when they find out about it. Just remember that nobody is upset with you and that you are not responsible for the bad things that were done in any way. Children are taught to trust adults and to do what grown-ups tell them. Adults who abuse the trust of children in this terrible way are completely to blame.
