Girl Scouts tell members they don't have to hug, kiss family during holidays
The Girl Scouts have offered some advice for parents this holiday season in light of recent sex assault allegations dominating the news: don't force your daughters to hug or kiss family members.
The Girl Scouts national organization said on its website, "Reminder. She doesn't owe anyone a hug. Even at the holidays."
Junior Girl Scout Troop 6470 from Hockaday School, on a field trip to Garland's Water Treatment plant talked with FOX4 about their thoughts.
"Some of my relatives I haven't met yet, so I'm not really sure,” said Lily Roberts.
Lily Brown, after considering the idea, said, “Perhaps we don't know them very well.”
One Girl Scout mom, Roberta Oyakawa, said she thought the idea was great and the conversation it's started is timely.
"We teach our daughters to assess the situation as to where they are and to understand who they are interacting with, especially adults,” Oyakawa said.
Her daughter, Maddie, said she also thought it was a good message.
“With my mom's side there's way more hugging and kissing then with my dad's side,” Maddie said.
The Girl Scouts organization said telling children they owe a hug or a kiss to someone could give girls the wrong idea about physical affection and consent.
Family psychologist Dr. Susan Fletcher applauds the Girl Scouts for addressing the kind of good touch bad touch issues that people in her field have long felt to be important.
"I think it's a great thing for young girls and young boys for us to talk about it as a way to prevent it rather than as a way to investigate it or accuse people or try to make people afraid of other people,” Fletcher said.
The national organization told Fox News in an email that the initiative comes in the wake of sexual harassment claims against politicians, and entertainers in the public eye.
It said it is "proud to provide age appropriate guidance to use when discussing this sensitive matter.”
"We recognize parents and other caregivers are in the best position to judge which conversations they should have with their girls,” the organization said.