What Is The 'Feeling Yes, Feeling No Program'?

The Feeling Yes, Feeling No program was developed in 1980 by the Green Thumb Theatre for Young People in Vancouver. The program consists of three instructional 15-minute interactive videos taped by the National Film Board of Canada in 1985. It is available in French as "Mon Corps, C'est Mon Corps". The videos include children from various ethnic backgrounds, increasing the program's appeal to diverse audiences. The program is often used as part of the personal and social development curriculum. The Lothian Regional Council Department of Education in Edinburgh, Scotland, has adapted Feeling Yes, Feeling No for children with learning difficulties. The main objectives of the program are: to identify different responses to being touched; how children can seek help if touch leaves them feeling "no"; and to identify some reasons why it is hard to tell about "no" feelings. This series of videos provides children the tools to protect themselves from sexual assault by strangers, family members and other trusted people. Using the 3 videos as the starting point for instruction, the entire program can take 15 to 18 hours of classroom teaching. A facilitator's guide outlines role-plays, mime, art, music and other activities that reinforce the messages from the videos. The major concepts covered include: reacting to touches with positive or negative feelings; adults can help if sexual assault occurs; and sexual assault is never the fault of the child. The first video teaches the basic skills, while the second video teaches skills to help children assess potentially dangerous situations involving strangers and provides a definition of sexual assault. The final video introduces the possibility of sexual assault by a trusted adult.