Girl Scouts of the USA warn parents not to make their children hug relatives
- Published
Is it wrong to force young girls to hug distant relatives?
As the issues surrounding sexual harassment and consent continue to provoke debate, the Girl Scouts of the USA has highlighted another potentially contentious area.
At this time of year, with families getting together for Christmas and New Year celebrations, the organisation is urging, external parents to reconsider ‘forcing’ their daughters to hug or kiss distant relatives against their wishes. Doing so, the group argues, could give young girls “the wrong idea about consent and physical affection.”
The Girl Scouts, which has 1.8 million members, external, suggests this could lead to girls feeling as if they owe physical affection to someone for buying them a gift or doing something nice for them.
A blog post on its site says: “Think of it this way: telling your child that she owes someone a hug either just because she hasn’t seen this person in a while or because they gave her a gift can set the stage for her questioning whether she ‘owes’ another person any type of physical affection when they’ve bought her dinner or done something else seemingly nice for her later in life.”
Suggested alternatives to hugging include the girl “saying how much she’s missed someone, or saying thank you with a smile or a high-five.”
Dr Andrea Bastiani Archibald, a developmental psychologist for the group, adds: “The lessons girls learn when they’re young about setting physical boundaries and expecting them to be respected last a lifetime, and can influence how she feels about herself and her body as she gets older.”
The hugging advice has had a big - and varied - response. The group’s original Facebook post on the topic has been shared over 7,000 times, and drawn hundreds of comments.
“No girl is going to seriously think she has to get physical with a guy to be polite, just because she had to give Aunt Betty a hug at Christmas when she was little,” said one reader. While another commented: “I was always relieved as a child that my parents didn’t force me into unwanted affection. I remember my mother having to defend me when other people would insist on hugs/kisses. ‘It’s ok if she’d rather shake hands or wave. She can choose’.”
Actress Amber Tamblyn - one of Hollywood’s most vocal campaigners against sexual abuse and harassment - backed the campaign.
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
The Girl Scouts responded to the discussion by saying “each family must choose what works for them.”
Allow X content?
This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
