Hugs, emotions and boundaries in school-age educare

“The study emerged from my research interest in how norms are expressed through non-verbal and instinctive behaviour, in this case through physical interactions with others. Previous studies were mainly conducted in pre-schools, where around 4 per cent of staff are men. In school-age educare, around 30 per cent of staff are male, which could mean that norms are negotiated in other ways,” says Julia Wester, a doctoral student in ethnology at the School of Historical and Contemporary Studies.

Her thesis builds upon observations and interviews conducted at two after-school clubs and covers everything from hugs to violence and boundary-setting. Her findings show that educators are often expected to be physically present, calm and available to meet the children’s needs for security and closeness. However, physical interaction can be complicated to negotiate in practice.

“Staff in school-age educare regarded physical proximity to the children as natural and positive, but also demanding and risky. Physical integrity and consent were vital, both in relation to the child and the educator.”

Dilemmas surrounding physical contact were raised, such as situations where staff feel they have to refuse a child’s request for physical proximity or they need to manage emotions that do not correspond to the ideal of a calm and neutral teacher.

Male educators receive more scrutiny

The study shows that boys and male teachers are more often questioned when it comes to affectionate closeness. This may be because some forms of physical contact are perceived as more problematic when they involve men, or because teachers adapt their behaviour to avoid misinterpretation.

“In general, the educators’ aim was not to treat children differently on the basis of gender. However, when educators talked about boys who sought a great deal of closeness, they could describe their character in negative terms, such as saying they had ‘mummy issues’ or ‘babyish emotions’.”

The thesis also covers how the current emphasis on consent and physical integrity affects the interaction between educators and children.

“For example, teachers could say that boys – in particular – need to learn boundaries, so that they don’t start thinking they can do whatever they want, while girls’ desire for closeness was seen as an understandable need for care. Therefore, there’s a risk that boys will be viewed as potential perpetrators when they seek physical closeness.”

Large groups affect the quality of care

The thesis also demonstrates how organisational circumstances affect opportunities to build secure relationships in school-age educare. Large groups of children, high levels of stress and inadequate support for children who need assistance were obstacles to teachers being able to work in the way they considered ideal. For example, they had very limited scope for preventing violent behaviour by children.

By examining physical contact in everyday life, this thesis aims to contribute to a greater understanding of the emotional and physical work that educators in school-age educare perform on a daily basis.