Safety and Consent Messages For Younger Children

Having early conversations around safety, appropriate touch and consent  can equip children with the skills they need to understand that their body belongs to them. This can protect them while they’re still little and provides a good base for building messages around consent as they grow.

Key messages include:

• Your body belongs to you
• You don’t have to kiss/hug anyone unless you choose to (including relatives)
• No means no – people should respect you saying no and you should respect other people’s right to say no
• Secrets that make you worry or scared should always be shared with an adult
• Using the correct names for body parts can also help, it can make children more body confident and more able to understand what parts are private. It can also reduce shame and embarrassment around discussing bodies and keeping safe