Page 55 - HLIF Manual

SAFE & APPROPRIATE

BOUNDARIES

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- A boundary is a line that others cannot cross unless we say it’s okay.
- Your boundaries might be different from another person’s boundaries.
- We need to respect other people’s boundaries and ask before touching another person.
- We can say no to any touch or behavior that makes us feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

NOTE: This is an OPTIONAL LESSON.

We have many different relationships in our lives. The type of relationship we have with a person helps us
to know what kind of touch is okay and appropriate. We use different types of touch with the different
people in our lives. Not all family members receive the same type of touch. Not all friends receive the
same type of touch.

A boundary is a line that marks the limit of an area. A boundary is defined as a line that others cannot
cross unless we say it’s okay. We’re not allowed to cross into another person’s boundary unless that per-
son says it’s okay. Boundaries will be different for different people, and it’s important that we respect
other people’s boundaries and ask before touching them. We don’t know what other people’s boundaries
are before asking.

We have warning signals in our body that let us know when something doesn’t feel comfortable or some-
thing is wrong. Everyone has a different signal in his or her body. Examples of signals in our body in-
clude: feeling uncomfortable in the stomach, body is shaky, breathing is fast, heart or chest hurts, body is
sweaty, and more. Sometimes these feelings can be confusing, because they might be similar to how we
feel when we have a crush on someone. It is important to think about the feelings we have in our bodies
so that we know when something is uncomfortable or wrong.

SUGGESTED ACTIVITY: UNWANTED TOUCH

TIME MATERIALS
10-15 mins WHITE BOARD OR POSTER PAPER

MARKERS

ACTIVITY
- Ask participants: What can we say or do if we don’t like the type of touch or affection from an-
other person?
- Write responses on the whiteboard or poster paper. Examples of responses may include: “No!”, “I
don’t like that,” “I’m not comfortable with that,” walk or move away, turn away.
- In partners, practice using words and the body to let someone know that you don’t like the type
of touch.

COACH’S NOTES
Sometimes it can be confusing if the role play includes inappropriate touch. Encourage partici-
pants to role play appropriate touch only.

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