Dear Counselor, I am a girl studying in one of the secondary days schools in Kampala. On my way to and from school, I get bad touches from men and at school, I get bad touches from boys. I really hate these bad touches, what can I do to avoid the bad touches from the boys and men?
Submitted by Counselor at SchoolNet on 1st January, 2009
Bad touches constitute a category of sexual abuse that is suffered silently by most women for various reasons. Things like touching your breasts, stroking your bums, caressing your thighs in class or taxis, are incidences that are not right and safe for you as young people.
Because of the fact that they are common and yet less punished, it becomes every young girl’s responsibility to guard her self from such humiliating touches.
Through dressing better, in less revealing clothes, one could limit the occurrence of bad touches as there will not be much exposure to whoever wants to touch; adopting better sitting postures say in classes would block any chances of a boy from caressing ones ajar thighs; choosing hangout spots should be done carefully as some places are common with boys and men that would touch every descent and not woman or girl.
Your ways of interaction with the male sex should be straight forward and should not send mixed signals and lastly girls and women need to check their time of movement in certain areas, just so to keep themselves safe.
Dear young lady,
I feel sorry that you are being treated badly by the people as you go to school and then while at school.
In the first place it is very bad and unacceptable for somebody to touch you at any of your body parts without your consent, you should not let them.
If you feel this hard for you to do, kindly find one of your teachers at school and confide in them and maybe reveal the names of the boys who touch you.That teacher, I am sure will find a way to help you.
As for the men who disturb you on the way to school, please inform your parents or guardian or any reponsible elder because you need their support in this situation.
If you dont stop this type of behaviour from these people they may think that you enjoy it and eventually they may plan to rape you which act may lead you to bigger problems like pregnance, acquiring STI’s and others problems which may not be easy for you to solve.
Otherwise, I would like you to appreciate that since these people make all these advances, they are seeing some degree of beauty in you and you should keep it for the right person and at the right time.
TELL THEM OFF NOW.