Personal Space
What is a personal boundary?
A limit that helps a person decide what they are comfortable with and how they want others to treat them.
Name one piece of personal information you should be careful about sharing with people you don't know well.
Examples: address, phone number, passwords, financial information, Social Security number, etc.
What does consent mean?
Giving permission or agreeing to something
What is one respectful way to tell someone that they have crossed a boundary?
Examples: “Please stop,” “I'm not comfortable with that,” or “I need some space.”
You are talking with someone and they keep interrupting you. What would you do?
Politely tell them you'd like to finish speaking or wait for an appropriate moment to continue
True or False: Everyone has the exact same amount of personal space that they are comfortable with.
False. Everyone has different comfort levels.
True or False: Your passwords should be shared with your friends if you trust them.
False. Passwords should generally be kept private.
True or False: Someone can change their mind after saying yes.
True.
True or False: Setting a boundary automatically means you are being rude.
False. You can set boundaries respectfully.
A friend asks to borrow your phone. You don't want them looking through it. What would you do?
Tell them no or explain that your phone is private.
Someone you are talking to keeps standing very close to you, and you feel uncomfortable. What could you say?
“Could you please give me some space?” or “Can you step back a little?”
Someone you recently met asks where you live. You don't feel comfortable answering. What could you say?
“I'd rather not share that.”
Someone wants to hug you, but you don't want a hug. What can you say?
“No thank you, I don't want a hug.”
Someone keeps asking you questions about your dating life, and you don't want to talk about it. What can you say?
“I'd rather keep that private.”
Someone at work or at the farmer's house keeps touching your shoulder even though you have told them you don't like it. What would you do?
Clearly tell them to stop. If they continue, talk to a supervisor or another trusted person.
True or False: You can have a personal boundary even if another person doesn't agree with it.
True.
True or False: You have the right to decide who can look through your phone.
True. Your phone contains personal information, and you can set boundaries around access to it.
True or False: Knowing someone well automatically means they can touch you whenever they want.
False. Being friends, family, or partners does not remove someone's right to personal boundaries.
What is the difference between being friendly and being too personal?
Being friendly can involve normal conversation and respect. Being too personal can involve asking or sharing information that someone is uncomfortable discussing.
You're at a social event. Someone you've just met keeps asking you personal questions about your relationships, and where you live, and other questions that are making you uncomfortable. You are uncomfortable. What would you do?
Tell them you're not comfortable discussing those things, change the subject, walk away, or talk with someone you trust.
You are sitting in a chair and someone comes over and sits extremely close to you even though there are several empty chairs. What is one respectful way to handle the situation?
Move to another seat or politely ask them to give you more personal space.
A coworker asks you how much money you make and how much money you have in your bank account. You don't want to discuss it. What could you say?
“That's personal, and I'd rather not talk about my finances.”
Someone asks if they can hug you. You say no, but they hug you anyway. Was your boundary respected?
No. You said no, and they should have respected your decision.
True or False: You should respect someone else's boundary even if you don't personally understand why they have that boundary.
True.
A friend says, “If you're really my friend, you'll give me your password.” What would you do?
Keep your password private and explain that friendship doesn't mean you have to share private information.