Negative Touch“
Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.”—Charles DickensThere are cases in which touch is perceived negatively, and excessive or unwanted touch can lead to criminal charges. Indeed, because of the powerful emotional impact of touch, people consider interpersonal touch to be much more harassing than verbal behavior. The perception of touch as having a negative value depends on the specific part of the body that has been touched, and on the specific characteristics of the person who touches it (their gender, age, and relationship with the touched person). Touch on the face is rated as significantly inappropriate and harassing behavior, while a tap or pat on the shoulder is considered the least harassing behavior.In his book Bad for Us (2004), John Portmann tells of a stripper who did not allow men to touch her, and emphasized that the divide between watching and touching made a world of moral difference to her: "It wasn't the act itself; it was a matter of setting up boundaries somewhere, so that one didn't feel like one's entire self was oozing away."
Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.”—Charles DickensThere are cases in which touch is perceived negatively, and excessive or unwanted touch can lead to criminal charges. Indeed, because of the powerful emotional impact of touch, people consider interpersonal touch to be much more harassing than verbal behavior. The perception of touch as having a negative value depends on the specific part of the body that has been touched, and on the specific characteristics of the person who touches it (their gender, age, and relationship with the touched person). Touch on the face is rated as significantly inappropriate and harassing behavior, while a tap or pat on the shoulder is considered the least harassing behavior.In his book Bad for Us (2004), John Portmann tells of a stripper who did not allow men to touch her, and emphasized that the divide between watching and touching made a world of moral difference to her: "It wasn't the act itself; it was a matter of setting up boundaries somewhere, so that one didn't feel like one's entire self was oozing away."