Early warning signs
Early warning signs are signs and feelings in your body that tell you that something is not right. When you feel unsafe:
- Your heart might race
- You could get butterflies in your stomach
- Your palms could sweat.
These signs tell you that something is not OK.
Sometimes getting early warning signs can feel confusing. Especially if you are with people you trust, like your family, and they expect you to feel OK – but you don’t feel comfortable.
Here are examples of things that make you feel good and things that make you feel uncomfortable - where you might feel some of those warning signs:
| Feeling good | Feeling uncomfortable |
|---|---|
| A hug that makes you feel loved | A hug that makes you feel awkward and grossed out |
| Your family come to watch you compete in a swimming carnival and look at you with pride | Someone walks into your room or the bathroom while you are getting undressed |
| You go to the movies together | You are watching TV with someone and they put on pornography |
| Playfighting and wrestling | Playfighting where someone touches you on your private parts or under your clothes |
| Comments like: ‘that’s a great outfit, you look nice in that’ | Someone comments on your body or makes a sexual joke |
| Comments like: ‘well done today!, great work’ | Someone says: ‘you’re so stupid, you’re lazy’ |
Safe Boundaries
We all like to have our own personal space and rules for how other people can behave towards us. Good boundaries help to keep us safe. It is important to tell other people about your boundaries, so they can be clear about them.
Examples of boundaries you might have for yourself are;
- People can’t stand too close or touch you when they are talking to you
- No one can come into the bathroom while you are showering
- No one is to sleep in your bed without permission
- You don’t trust people you hardly know, so you won’t get into their car or tell them personal information about you etc.
- You don’t share personal information or pictures of yourself over the internet.
Links
For more informationFor more information about this or to contact the South Eastern Centre Against Sexual Assault go to the SECASA website. |
