Body and privacy · Ages 8–12
Your body, privacy and safety
Perhaps you want to be alone while changing clothes, or you wonder what different parts of your body are called. Both are completely okay. Privacy means you can have things, thoughts and parts of everyday life that you want to keep to yourself. You can ask about your whole body, including things that feel private. You can talk about touching, a comment or something else that happened. An adult you trust can help with questions, pain or anything that worries you.
Perhaps you want to be alone while changing clothes, or you wonder what different parts of your body are called. Both are completely okay. Privacy means you can have things, thoughts and parts of everyday life that you want to keep to yourself. You can ask about your whole body, including things that feel private. You can talk about touching, a comment or something else that happened. An adult you trust can help with questions, pain or anything that worries you.
01
It is okay to talk about the whole body
Your body has many parts, and all of them have names. Knowing the words makes it easier to explain where something hurts or what you are wondering about.
02
What does private mean?
Private means you can have things that belong to you and boundaries about who gets to see or join in. You may want to change clothes alone, close the bathroom door or ask people to knock. What you need may change as you grow. Private does not mean you must keep pain, worries or unwanted touching secret. You can tell a trusted adult about any part of your body. If you need help with washing or health, adults should explain what they are doing and treat you with respect.
03
Touch, boundaries and safety
Touching means someone making contact with your body, for example with a hand or a hug. A hug you want can feel nice and safe. You can change your mind and say stop. If someone touches you in a way that makes you frightened, worried or unsure, you can tell an adult you trust. You can also tell them if something felt okay at first or if you went quiet and could not speak up. How your body reacted is not your fault. Sometimes you need help with washing, a wound or an examination at the doctor. The adult should explain what is happening and listen to you. You can ask questions and speak up if something hurts.
04
Your body may react before you find the words
Sometimes your body notices that something does not feel okay before you can explain why. You might get a tummy ache, feel tense, want to move away, start crying or become completely quiet or frozen. These reactions do not mean you have said yes. You can tell someone about what happened afterwards too.
05
When adults help with your body
Sometimes you need help washing, treating a wound or being examined because you are ill. A parent, carer or healthcare professional should explain what is happening and listen to you. You can ask why something is being done, request a break and speak up if it hurts. An examination should help with your health. If anything makes you worried, you can tell another adult too.
Want to talk about it?
You can ask someone you trust about anything you have noticed or are worried about. A school nurse or doctor can also help if symptoms affect everyday life.
Help me explainSources and further information
Personal health concerns require assessment by a healthcare professional. Some source documents are in Norwegian.