Touch in Schools

A revolutionary strategy for

replacing bullying with respect

and for reducing violence

Touch in Schools

Sylvie Hétu &

Mia Elm

säter

Touch in Schools

“A wonderful and necessary book which proposes an approach that will help thousands of children to

establish healthy relationships with one another. Without doubt this book and its associated programme

will help to bring balance to the affectionate bonds which all children need in order to thrive

emotionally and socially.”

Sir Richard Bowlby

Educationalist, lecturer, film producer (Bonding and attachment)

“This book is the latest in literature that can promote child massage and its importance to the notion

of nurturing touch in our world. There is nothing more important, in my opinion, with regards to the

growth and development of healthy human beings and thus healthy human societies.”

Vimala McClure

Author, Infant Massage: A Handbook for Loving for Loving Parents;

founder, International Association of Infant Massage

“There is a wonderful development in schools across the globe towards becoming extensions of the family;

friendly places where people care for each other, and learning is undertaken with energy and delight.

So this rather startling idea - that children can show love and care for each other through touch and

massage - suddenly seems obvious. You have to wonder - why did we not think of this years ago?

Perhaps because we almost sacrificed our humanity, and are just getting it back.”

Steve Biddulph

Psychologist and author, The Secret of Happy Children and Raising Boys

“Touch is the most fundamental means of communication, yet 21st century paranoia can cut children off

from physical contact with other human beings. This hugely important book shows how they can

‘make contact’ and ‘keep in touch’ with their peers, and so recreate the basis of human social interaction

and mental health.”

Sue Palmer

Author of Toxic Childhood and 21st Century Boys

“This book, Touch in Schools, offers a wealth of critical information, given in so eminently simple, useful

and practical form, that, when the equally simple answer-application is spelled out one can only ask:

Why hasn’t this been done before?”

Joseph Chilton Pearce

Author, educationalist

www.urpublications.com

Fore

word b

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Jose

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Chilto

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Sylvie Hétu

Mia Elmsäter

A revolutionary

strategy for replacing

bullying with respect and

for reducing violenceTouch in Schools

A revolutionary strategy for

replacing bullying with respect

and for reducing violence

Touch in Schools

Sylvie Hétu &

Mia Elm

säter

Touch in Schools

“A wonderful and necessary book which proposes an approach that will help thousands of children to

establish healthy relationships with one another. Without doubt this book and its associated programme

will help to bring balance to the affectionate bonds which all children need in order to thrive

emotionally and socially.”Sir Richard Bowlby

Educationalist, lecturer, film producer (Bonding and attachment)

“This book is the latest in literature that can promote child massage and its importance to the notion

of nurturing touch in our world. There is nothing more important, in my opinion, with regards to the

growth and development of healthy human beings and thus healthy human societies.”

Vimala McClure

Author, Infant Massage: A Handbook for Loving for Loving Parents;

founder, International Association of Infant Massage

“There is a wonderful development in schools across the globe towards becoming extensions of the family;

friendly places where people care for each other, and learning is undertaken with energy and delight.

So this rather startling idea - that children can show love and care for each other through touch and

massage - suddenly seems obvious. You have to wonder - why did we not think of this years ago?

Perhaps because we almost sacrificed our humanity, and are just getting it back.”

Steve Biddulph

Psychologist and author, The Secret of Happy Children and Raising Boys

“Touch is the most fundamental means of communication, yet 21st century paranoia can cut children off

from physical contact with other human beings. This hugely important book shows how they can

‘make contact’ and ‘keep in touch’ with their peers, and so recreate the basis of human social interaction

and mental health.”Sue Palmer

Author of Toxic Childhood and 21st Century Boys

“This book, Touch in Schools, offers a wealth of critical information, given in so eminently simple, useful

and practical form, that, when the equally simple answer-application is spelled out one can only ask:

Why hasn’t this been done before?” Joseph Chilton Pearce

Author, educationalist

www.urpublications.com

Foreword by

Joseph

Chilton Pearce

Sylvie Hétu Mia Elmsäter

“This book, Touch in Schools, offers a wealth of critical information, given in so eminently simple, useful and practical form, that, when the equally simple answer-application is spelled out one can only ask: Why hasn’t this been done before?”

Joseph Chilton PearceAuthor, educationalist

“Touch is the most fundamental means of communication, yet 21st century paranoia can cut children off from physical contact with other human beings. This hugely important book shows how they can ‘make contact’ and ‘keep in touch’ with their peers, and so recreate the basis of human social interaction and mental health.”

Sue Palmer Author of Toxic Childhood and 21st Century Boys

Foreword Introduction: When Children Shoot Children

Part One: Philosophy Toward Social Change Education is in Trouble Simply Simple No Time? Children: Who Are They?

Part Two: Putting the Truth on the Table

The Sense of Touch Touch and Culture An Oxytocin Kick Fight or Flight Ways of Learning Touch and Emotions Bonding and Attachment Beyond Guilt and Shame

Part Three: The Massage in Schools Programme

The Vision Origins of the Programme Has the MISP Been Researched? Key Characteristics of the Programme

Part Four: For All the Best Reasons

Can Something This Good Be Healthy? Making the Teacher’s Life Easier Comments and Observations from Teachers One for All and All for One… Benefits of the MISP for the Entire School Can It Get any Better than This? Observations and Research/Studies Child Protection

Part Five: Making It Happen …Applications

What is the Programme? The Massage In Schools Programme Routine How Does It Work? When to Use the Routine The Importance of Rhythm Implementation of the Routine Touch, Movement, and School Subjects Touch Games and Activities Special Situations Especially for Parents Comments and Observations from Parents Beyond Reward and Punishment

Contents

Touch in Schools

A revolutionary strategy forreplacing bullying with respect

and for reducing violence

Touch in Schools

Sylvie Hétu &

Mia Elm

säter

Touch in Schools“A wonderful and necessary book which proposes an approach that will help thousands of children to

establish healthy relationships with one another. Without doubt this book and its associated programme

will help to bring balance to the affectionate bonds which all children need in order to thrive

emotionally and socially.”Sir Richard Bowlby

Educationalist, lecturer, film producer (Bonding and attachment)

“This book is the latest in literature that can promote child massage and its importance to the notion

of nurturing touch in our world. There is nothing more important, in my opinion, with regards to the

growth and development of healthy human beings and thus healthy human societies.”

Vimala McClure

Author, Infant Massage: A Handbook for Loving for Loving Parents;

founder, International Association of Infant Massage

“There is a wonderful development in schools across the globe towards becoming extensions of the family;

friendly places where people care for each other, and learning is undertaken with energy and delight.

So this rather startling idea - that children can show love and care for each other through touch and

massage - suddenly seems obvious. You have to wonder - why did we not think of this years ago?

Perhaps because we almost sacrificed our humanity, and are just getting it back.”

Steve Biddulph

Psychologist and author, The Secret of Happy Children and Raising Boys

“Touch is the most fundamental means of communication, yet 21st century paranoia can cut children off

from physical contact with other human beings. This hugely important book shows how they can

‘make contact’ and ‘keep in touch’ with their peers, and so recreate the basis of human social interaction

and mental health.”Sue Palmer Author of Toxic Childhood and 21st Century Boys

“This book, Touch in Schools, offers a wealth of critical information, given in so eminently simple, useful

and practical form, that, when the equally simple answer-application is spelled out one can only ask:

Why hasn’t this been done before?” Joseph Chilton Pearce

Author, educationalist

www.urpublications.com

Foreword by

Joseph

Chilton Pearce

Sylvie Hétu Mia Elmsäter

by Joseph Chilton Pearce

On visiting America years ago, Alfred Tomatis, the French physician whose pioneering research into hearing, speech, movement and learning is a classic, remarked on the “touch-starved American child,” by now an old story and far worse than in Tomatis’ day. Today, as David Elkind recently pointed out, research into a child’s neural-physical growth and development has extended our knowledge far beyond that of any previous generation, while we have miserably failed to apply any of this vast new research, even as the “crisis in childhood” grows daily.

The issue is: how do we, how can we, apply this vast array of new research? A dismaying flood of books relating to this subject and what to do about it are sent to me from many quarters, most hopelessly complex or over simplified, but, here, in this astonishingly thorough yet simple work lies the answer, one that stands out above the rest and calls out for a full response from all of us. This book, Touch in Schools, offers a wealth of critical information, given in so eminently simple, useful and practical form, that, when the equally simple answer-application is spelled out one can only ask: Why hasn’t this been done before?

The research and references given by Mia Elmsäter and Sylvie Hétu, drawing on a rapidly expanding field, are impressive, sound, and current. Above all, the application of this knowledge to the direct daily life of the child is brilliant, practical, and long overdue. Again and again we might wonder why this obvious, common-sense approach hasn’t been thought of and applied before, although, of course, I find that variations of it have been employed for some time now by the Scandinavian countries – where they have the odd habit of listening to, observing and applying what their scientists and child-research studies reveal.

Foreword

Touch in Schools

A revolutionary strategy forreplacing bullying with respect

and for reducing violence

Touch in Schools

Sylvie Hétu &

Mia Elm

säter

Touch in Schools“A wonderful and necessary book which proposes an approach that will help thousands of children to

establish healthy relationships with one another. Without doubt this book and its associated programme

will help to bring balance to the affectionate bonds which all children need in order to thrive

emotionally and socially.”Sir Richard Bowlby

Educationalist, lecturer, film producer (Bonding and attachment)

“This book is the latest in literature that can promote child massage and its importance to the notion

of nurturing touch in our world. There is nothing more important, in my opinion, with regards to the

growth and development of healthy human beings and thus healthy human societies.”

Vimala McClure

Author, Infant Massage: A Handbook for Loving for Loving Parents;

founder, International Association of Infant Massage

“There is a wonderful development in schools across the globe towards becoming extensions of the family;

friendly places where people care for each other, and learning is undertaken with energy and delight.

So this rather startling idea - that children can show love and care for each other through touch and

massage - suddenly seems obvious. You have to wonder - why did we not think of this years ago?

Perhaps because we almost sacrificed our humanity, and are just getting it back.”

Steve Biddulph

Psychologist and author, The Secret of Happy Children and Raising Boys

“Touch is the most fundamental means of communication, yet 21st century paranoia can cut children off

from physical contact with other human beings. This hugely important book shows how they can

‘make contact’ and ‘keep in touch’ with their peers, and so recreate the basis of human social interaction

and mental health.”Sue Palmer Author of Toxic Childhood and 21st Century Boys

“This book, Touch in Schools, offers a wealth of critical information, given in so eminently simple, useful

and practical form, that, when the equally simple answer-application is spelled out one can only ask:

Why hasn’t this been done before?” Joseph Chilton Pearce

Author, educationalist

www.urpublications.com

Foreword by

Joseph

Chilton Pearce

Sylvie Hétu Mia Elmsäter

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