The Power of Touch
The power of touch is miraculous in its simplicity. It is a necessary gift of nature, without which a human being cannot thrive. The Peaceful Touch approach integrates healthy touch into children's activities, from games and story-telling to reading, math, and science. In Sweden, where more than 300,000 children practice Peaceful Touch on a regular basis, both teachers and parents report lower levels of anxiety and aggression, and improved group functioning.
Peaceful Touch, from Sweden to the US
Axelson Institute began the program in Stockholm in 1995. The training raises the consciousness of teachers and child care professionals about the importance of healthy touch and gives them hands-on tools to bring to the classroom. Graduates of the training have seen such strong and immediate results that today the program is almost a standard in Swedish preschools and elementary schools.
Peaceful Touch training in the US carries on the tradition of the Swedish program. Our recent training at the University of Connecticut (Storrs) Early Childhood Education Lab School is leading to requests from similar college and university programs as well as from elementary and preschools.
Fundamentals
The Peaceful Touch program is based on three fundamentals:
- That touch is necessary for human growth and development
- That the calming hormone, oxytocin, is activated through touch
- That a permission process supports healthy touch and helps establish good boundaries.
Working together like the three legs of a stool, these fundamental concepts support the integrity and success of the Peaceful Touch program.
Results
Research from the University of Uppsala and Axelson Institute in Sweden confirms that 5 to 10 minutes of Peaceful Touch from teacher to child on a daily basis significantly decreases aggression. A wealth of anecdotal evidence supports additional results including improved concentration and better group functioning. Trainings in Sweden and in the US are essentially the same, so schools in the US can expect the same results. Click on the Resources page to read the research article.
Peaceful Touch is a not-for-profit 501 (c) 3 organization that collaborates with education and health professionals to raise awareness of the practice and benefits of healthy touch for children.