School administrators are implementing 'no touching" policies in middle schools.
Schools nationwide have policies to prevent violence and sexual harassment, but some go further – such as creating a rule against touching. In March, one middle school student in Bend, Ore., was sent to detention after repeatedly defying a teacher's warning to refrain from hugging another student. A similar situation occurred at a junior high in Euless, Texas, in 2003.
Some people are upset by it, of course, but they don't ask the obvious question: why does a 13-year-old need to engage in PDA at all? Indeed, is a 13-year-old capable of making inteligent decisions about PDA?
I like the policies. Though it might be like beating back waves with a broom, if it delays the sexualization of our youth just a little, it's worth it.
