Tool "No Means No"

Language: English

Project Featuring This Tool: Rainbow Resources

Themes:Gender and Sexuality Inclusion and Equality

In this activity children learn to define their own personal space and to recognise other people’s perso­nal space.

Time 45 minutes
Approximate number of participants 10-12
Age under 10, 10-15
Date published 9 Dec 2011, 14:20

Objectives

To raise awareness of one’s own and other people’s personal boundaries

To learn how to recognise sexual harassment

To practice how to say ‘no’ to unwanted physical contact

Materials

Tape, chalk or string

Step-by-step instructions

1. Ask the group to stand in two lines facing each other (each person needs to be facing another person).

2. Ask one of the lines to start walking towards the other. Each individual in the other line says ‘stop’ when they think the person approaching them is close enough or when they stop feeling comfortable. Make it clear that this is not a competition. Everyone needs to decide for themselves how close they let the second person come towards them.

3. After everybody has stopped, ask everyone to take a look around to see where they and others stand. Repeat the exercise with the other line walking forward.

4. Ask everyone to find a space in the room and to mark the area around them (with chalk, tape or string) that they do not want other people to cross: how close can people come towards them? Explain that this is their personal space.

Debriefing

Why do people have different personal spaces?

Is your personal space different for different people?

What don’t you want other people to do in relation to your body(e.g. hug you, kiss you, touch your shoulder…)?

How can you notice if someone is feeling uncomfortable?

Can words also make people feel uncomfortable? How?

What can we do to make others respect our personal space?

5. Ask everyone to say ‘No’ one after the other, verbally or using body language, without using the word ‘No’. This is to show that there are many ways of saying no without using that word alone. However someone expresses a ‘No’, it should always be respected.

Tips

Explain that sexual harassment is always defined by the victim, not by the person harassing. Point out the necessity to be aware of different personal boundaries and the need to respect them.This method should only be used in groups who know each other already and feel comfortable with each other.

Sexual harassment: Any unwanted sexual advance, request for sexual favours, or verbal or physical behaviour of a sexual nature that alarms or annoys someone, or interferes with someone’s privacy, or creates an intimidating or hostile environment.

Attached files