r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/ArcherVisible5866 • 4h ago

Video New controversial Ad in Ireland about consent

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u/mostly_lurking 4h ago

If you think this is controversial you might have a boundary problem.

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u/Early_Particular9170 4h ago edited 2h ago

Agreed. I was a kid whose consent got ignored for things like hugs and kisses. At multiple points, my mom physically forced a kiss on me after I had verbally told her no. It feels awful to have your boundaries ignored when it comes to your own body, and it’s a dangerous lesson to teach a child.

She once gave a stranger consent to take a photo of me before I could give an answer. I had been an adult for years at that point. Some parents genuinely think their children are extensions of themselves rather than an autonomous human being with agency.

ETA: My mother was physically, verbally, and emotionally abusive throughout my childhood in ways that caused (professionally diagnosed) PTSD. That kind of thing changes how a person views affection from a parent.

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u/TimberVolk 3h ago

I've never understood why people were so insistent on forcing hugs or kisses from kids. At times I may offer a hug to my little cousins or my friends' kids if they're generally comfortable with it, but I always ask, I never step toward them when I do, and if they say 'no,' I make a point of going, "That's okay! You don't have to give hugs if you don't want."

It's such an easy way to define agency around physical contact in young kids and yet it's one of their most deprived boundaries.