I want to hold your hand!: the case against ‘no-touch’ policies in early childhood education

Touch is a key element of social interactions within early childhood and forms part of a relational pedagogy. Children naturally use touch daily and research demonstrates that it is a vital component of child development. Effective educators use touch sensitively and appropriately to support children from hand-holding for safety, to high-fives for praise. However, using touch is not without challenges and in recent years there has been a resurgence of ‘no-touch’ policies in schools and settings. Through the lenses of current literature and research alongside attachment and traditional theory, this literature-based conceptual paper seeks to demonstrate how these policies go against current research and offers an evidence-informed argument to counter them. Arguing that educators have a duty of care acting in loco-parentis, incorporating sensitive and appropriate touch between educators and children in schools and settings strengthens social and emotional bonds, enhances learning and is vital within childhood and essential for human survival.