hi fellow crustacean, please do not touch me.

A is for...

AGREE

You should always agree with another person's wishes to touch or not touch them. To agree is to understand and listen to each other. Listening is an important part of friendship.

I agree, I will not touch you!

B is for...

BODY

People should always respect your body (and you should always respect theirs, too). Don't do to people what they wouldn't want done to themselves. Tell an adult if someone touches your body in a way that doesn't make you feel good.

Consent means giving someone permission to do something, like giving a hug. It's important that someone asks for your consent before they touch you, and you can always take back your consent if you are uncomfortable.

C is for... CONSENT

cool!

D is for...

DON'T

You can let people know if you don't want to be touched by saying "please don't touch me". It's okay to not want to be touched, it is your body!

Don't touch me, stop!

E is for...

EQUALITY

Everyeone in this world deserves to be treated in the way that they want to be treated, and we should all have opportunities to achieve our goals. Equal does not always mean we get the same amount of help, but that we can all achieve the same goal.

F is for...

FAULT

It is never your fault if somebody touches you in a way that makes you feel unsafe or not important. Always tell a trusted adult if you feel hurt or confused because someone touched you.

I am sad

It's okay, it's not your fault.

I'm going to get help from an adult.

G is for...

GRAB

It is never okay to grab someone, no matter if you are a child or if you are a grown up. To grab someone is to not respect their body or go against their consent.

H is for...

HELP

Sometimes, you might need to call for help if someone is making you uncomfortable. It's okay to ask for help, especially if you are not feeling safe. If it's an emergency and no one is around, it's okay to scream "help" so a grown up can hear you.

I is for...

IMPORTANT

You are so important as a friend, child, student, and human being. You have a purpose and you are so important to this world!

J is for...

JOKE

It is never okay to joke about stuff that makes people feel uncomfortable or unsafe. Jokes are supposed to make people laugh, not make people hurt.

You're mean!

I am hurt.

K is for...

KIND

You should always use kind words with your friends, and your friends and grown ups should always use kind words to you. If a grown up ever doesn't use kind words with you, ask for help from another adult.

L is for...

LOVE

You deserve love. Love is not something earned, it is something that everyone has a right to receive. Love should not feel confusing or forced; love should not feel like a secret and love should not hurt.

M is for...

MEAN

It is not okay to use mean words or actions with people. If someone is using words to make you feel sad or mad, be sure to tell a trusted adult.

N is for...

NO

"No" means no. If you tell someone not to touch you, they should respect your words and not touch you. If someone else tells you not to touch them, then follow their rules.

If a grown up tries to touch you in a way that makes you feel unsafe and you tell them no, they need to listen to you. If they don't, you need to tell another adult immediately.

O is for...

OKAY

You should always feel okay with the way other people treat you. If you aren't, then be sure to tell them. "Hey, I don't like the way you talk to me" or "I don't like the way you touch me" is a great start. You should always feel okay.

P is for...

Pressure

(and private parts)

Pressure means to make happen. Someone should never pressure you into doing something that you don't want to do.

P is also for Private Parts. Most people have these in between their legs and under their shirt. Nobody should touch your private parts in a way that makes you confused or sad, not even mom or dad. Only you can touch your private parts, unless you give someone else consent, like a doctor or parent.