Not okay: Preschool teachers talk about inappropriate touching

The study investigates Swedish kindergarten teachers’ attitudes towards boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate physical contact between children and kindergarten staff. By inappropriate touch, the authors of the article mean physical contact that is not illegal, but which is considered inappropriate and unprofessional by the kindergarten teachers. The research question is: What views and experiences do kindergarten teachers describe regarding inappropriate and unprofessional touching between children and staff?

The results show that kindergarten teachers believe it is inappropriate and unprofessional for staff to grab or physically detain a child, or to touch the child without observing the child’s signals, because this violates the child’s integrity. It is also considered wrong to ‘help’ a child who can manage on their own, as this is perceived as undermining the child’s agency. Furthermore, the informants believe that kissing a child is inappropriate. Here, however, the kindergarten teachers have different opinions and experiences. The results show that kindergarten staff struggle with these issues and that the boundaries between appropriate and inappropriate touch can be difficult to draw.

The study is part of a larger project (Touch in Preschool Care or Risk?) that investigates how kindergartens and kindergarten teacher education in Sweden discuss and deal with physical contact between children and employees. The data material in this article is based on individual semi-structured interviews with 30 kindergarten teachers (eleven men and 19 women). The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed.

Hedlin, M. & Åberg, M. (2020). “Not okay: Preschool teachers talk about inappropriate touching”. Journal of Early Childhood Education Research, 9(2):456–476.