What are your boundaries?

Boundaries are the rules we set for how we want to be treated. We want to be clear and set boundaries early in a relationship because they tell others how they may speak and act toward us.

People have many types of boundaries. Boundaries can be:

○ Physical: How and where you want to be touched or how much personal space you like.

○ Mental: What feelings or moods you want to share with others and what topics or opinions you feel comfortable talking about.

○ Verbal: What name you like to use and how you want people to speak to you.

Your boundaries can be different depending on who you are with or where you are. You may feel comfortable talking about dating with your friend, but not with your neighbor. Or if you are upset, you might prefer to cry at home rather than at school or work.

Examples of behaviors that can cross a boundary are when someone puts their arm around you without your consent, someone wears your clothes without asking, someone yells at you, or when someone walks with you when you don’t want them to. Remember ‘consent’ is about giving your permission for something to happen.

Think about what some of your boundaries are, and how you might talk about them.

To learn how No Means No is teaching these skills to youth, sign up for our newsletter if you’re not already on our list, and follow us on social media!