One of the reasons we have such rampant violence towards women in this culture is the sneaky confusion between someone wanting to respectfully connect with us vs someone wanting ownership over our bodies.
The phrase "getting hit on" should disturb everyone, yet it gets used as a positive idea. This confuses women into thinking we should like and accept it when someone is sexually harassing us without care for our feelings or lack of equal enthusiasm.
Hitting and loving should never be equated. Ever.
Teaching our children (esp our daughters) to be suspicious of people who are aggressive about their interest in our bodies is integral in teaching our kids to know the difference between safe and unsafe potential romantic partners.
Safe people are gentle with their desire and make space for our reactions. They also stop when they sense we are hesitant, or not interested.
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In this video, you'll learn that while it's developmentally normal for small children to struggle with impulse control and physical aggression, it's important to teach your child about body ownership, setting boundaries, and protecting them from hurtful behavior, especially in situations where the other parent is not intervening.
As parents, we want to protect our children from harm, but threats of violence may not be the best way to do so. Instead, we can be a refuge and a barrier for our children, offering comfort and support in times of need.
In this video, the speaker criticizes the "stranger danger" approach to child safety, arguing that it neglects the fact that most child abuse occurs at the hands of people the child knows and trusts, and instead provides six signs of potentially abusive behavior to teach children to be on the lookout for.
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