Girl Scouts bosses warn making girls hug relatives at Christmas sets bad example about consent
Girl Scouts USA bosses say forcing girls to hug loved ones at Christmas sends out a bad message about consent.
The outdoor pursuits organization shared a meme on its Facebook page Monday, saying: ‘Reminder: She doesn’t owe anyone a hug.
‘Not even at the holidays.’
The organization explained that encouraging girls to hug relatives may cause them to question whether they ‘owe’ someone physical affection because they have done something nice for them later in life.
Girl Scouts USA also shared a hypothetical scenario which could arise, saying: ‘Have you ever insisted, “Uncle just got here—go give him a big hug!” or “Auntie gave you that nice toy, go give her a kiss,” when you were worried your child might not offer affection on her own?
‘If yes, you might want to reconsider the urge to do that in the future.’
Developmental psychologist Dr Andrea Bastani Archibald, who works for the group, said it was never too early to teach children about consent.
She said:’The notion of consent may seem very grown-up and like something that doesn’t pertain to children, but 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.’
Girl Scouts advised parents to let their daughters decide if and how to show a loved-one affection, but added that they do not condone any rude behavior by children.