Strip-searches are a form of state-sanctioned violence that must stop | Peta Malins

Let’s bring in reforms to ensure our children and young people no longer have to endure the toxic brutality of these practices

One of the most important lessons I have taught my two young children is that they do not have to give anyone a hug or kiss unless they want to. They understand their capacity to say no, and the importance of respecting a no when they hear it from others. They also know that certain parts of their body are private and that no one has the right to ask if they can see or touch them. In short, they already understand ideas of bodily autonomy, agency and consent.

The value in giving kids the tools to negotiate and assert bodily boundaries from an early age is now widely acknowledged in academic and parenting literature. These skills are crucial for navigating healthy and safe relationships – including sexual relationships – later in life, and reducing the chances of experiencing, or perpetrating, sexual abuse and assaults.

Related: NSW police told 15-year-old to 'lift your balls up' in strip-search with no adult present

Related: 'She grabbed my bra': NSW woman says being strip-searched at 15 had a traumatic effect

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2LvkTBX