Massage without consent
So the other day I was working at the spa and I was rubbing my lower back sore from Yoga. My generous co-worker saw it and came up to me. Without talking, she then pinned me to the wall with my hands up like the body search by a police, massaged my lower back really hard, and walked away. It felt good but I was more in shock and I even felt little violated.
This reminded me of the incident back in 2006 when President Bush gave a quick massage to a German Chancellor at the G8 summit. It was a big news for its inappropriateness. Apparently she was surprised and she was in discomfort. The United Nations defines neck massage as a form of sexual harassment when it’s unwelcomed. I have the link to the pdf and the video in my blog post below.
What is Sexual Harassment http://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/pdf/whatissh.pdf
Bush Creeps Out German Chancellor
So be careful who you massage. Even if it’s your spouse, get a consent first before you start giving a massage because some days you just don’t want to be touched for whatever the reason. Touch is a powerful communication tool and unwanted touch can easily leave the other person feeling violated. Always respect the boundaries and never push them.
Another thing that I learned from this experience is that you can effectively massage someone standing against the wall although it’s weird. Who knew?
Happy Massaging!
5-12-14 Massage without consent http://bit.ly/mm-051214
