(By Kayla Chanai)
1. Your body belongs to you and you have the right to say no. No one should touch you if you don’t want them to. No one should make you touch him or her.
2. Your feelings are important.” Trust your feelings and share them with a trusted adult. Contrary to what you think, there are really lots of nice and sincere adults around you who would love to know how you feel. I’m just one of them… I want to know how you feel. I would love to help you because I truly understand.
3. There are different kinds of touches.” You must understand the difference between appropriate and inappropriate behaviour. Good touches make you feel happy and loved. Bad touches hurt and make you feel sad, angry, hurt, upset and guilty.
4. Confusing touches may feel good at first and then feel bad or uncomfortable. This “uh-oh” feeling happens when something does not feel right and you don’t understand why. No one has the right to touch your private parts or your body in any way you do not like.”
5. Remember the Personal Safety Saying; Say No! It does not matter who the person is, tell them to stop. Practise saying NO! Together.
6. Get Away as quickly as possible and go to a safe place where there is a trusted adult.
7. Tell someone. Keep telling adults until someone helps you. Who are some adults you could tell? Brainstorm trusted adults you could talk to at different places: home, school, church, etc. We are here for you too. You can drop your questions here or send us an e-mail.
8. Remember you don’t have to keep a secret that makes you feel uncomfortable or hurts your body. If a grown-up wants you to keep a secret, tell someone. Even if you promised not to or they scared you, tell someone. Remember it’s your life. You must Rise Up and Live it!
