TICKLING may seem like a harmless and playful activity, especially when it comes to children. Adults find it enjoyable, tickling kids to improve mood, distract them from anxiety-provoking situations and bond through physical touch. But that does not guarantee the child is having fun.
Now, experts are saying it is important for parents, educators, and caregivers to be aware of the potential negative effects of tickling and to discourage this behaviour because it can cause physical and emotional harm, violate personal boundaries, and perpetuate power imbalances.
According to them, babies may laugh when tickled, but not enjoy it. Also, when tickling becomes too intense or prolonged, it can cause children to feel pain or discomfort, and can even lead to injury if they are unable to escape or stop the tickling.
In addition, when children are tickled against their will or are tickled in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable or unsafe, they may develop feelings of anxiety, fear, or mistrust. It can also be used as a form of bullying, manipulation, or abuse, which can have long-term emotional consequences for them.
Tickling generally refers to two types of sensations, a sensation due to a light touch in any part of the body. It can also happen due to a heavier touch to ticklish parts of the body like the soles of the feet, underarms, the neck, the ribs, and the tummy. Touching these parts of the body induces involuntary laughter as a tickle response.
There are a couple schools of thought on what makes someone ticklish. One theory is that being ticklish evolved as a defense mechanism to protect vulnerable areas of the body and to show submission. Another theory is that tickling encourages social bonding.
In a study conducted at the University of California in 1997, scientists found that tickling doesn’t create the same happy feelings that are created when a person laughs at a funny joke. Tickling just creates an outward illusion that a person is laughing.
Another survey of 84 college students shows that only 32% of respondents reported enjoying being tickled, with 32% giving neutral responses, and 36% saying that they disliked it. It was in the journal, Cognition and Emotion.
The study also found a very high level of embarrassment and anxiety associated with tickling.
However, in the same study the researchers found that the facial indicators of happiness and amusement do not correlate, which suggests that there may be other factors at play such as embarrassment and anxiety in the case of those who indicated a dislike for tickling than the mere physical sensation experienced.
In addition, the University of Kentucky studied 150 adults who were abused by their siblings during childhood. Many of the study subjects reported tickling as a type of physical abuse. The study concluded that tickling can provoke extreme physiological reactions in the victim such as vomiting and loss of consciousness due to the inability to breathe.
Dr Joy Alejo, a paediatrician neurologist at the University College Hospital, Ibadan in a reaction to the study’s finding said tickling is not harmful to a child but if a child says stop it, the adults should stop it.
According to her, “It is like saying that laughing so much is harmful to a child. In Europe, there is a lot of talk about consent. There is a lot on child’s right and it emphasises that the child has the right to what they do with their body.”
“So saying that tickling a child that can be harmful is not from the medical point of view; it is more from the ethical point of view. For instance, it is not like rape. If tickling a child and he says no, it means that it is a bit like touching the child inappropriately.”
Dr Alejo stated that medically speaking, there is nothing in the literature against tickling.
“In fact, a child laughing using all their muscles to laugh and play is actually good. Play is a recognised therapy for sick children in the hospital. We want them to laugh; we want them to play. It is a key part of their body development,” she declared.
But, Dr Jagdish Kathwate, consultant neonatologist and pediatrician, Motherhood Hospital, Pune, said tickling is not allowed in newborns.
She declared in a report: “Tickling impacts the child’s body in many ways. If the child is tickled too forcefully or even in many sensitive areas, such as the neck or groin, it can cause pain, discomfort and even trauma. The child will be uncomfortable.
“Moreover, the baby is helpless and will be unable to express whether he/she likes or dislikes it. Excessive tickling can also cause chest and stomach pain, which will require immediate medical attention. Shockingly, the giggle during tickling is involuntary and can induce breathing difficulties.
“Excessive tickling can also lead to anxiety in children. Not only this, but tickling can even cause death from asphyxia, brain aneurysms or other stress-related injuries when done constantly. It is better to avoid tickling the baby to make sure that there are no problems due to it.”
Although tickling brings out laughter, there is a thin line between tickle fun and torture. However, every child is different. While some might see it as playfulness, another child might not. Many children feel paralysed due to tickling and go to any lengths to protect themselves from being tickled.
So it’s crucial to approach it with sensitivity and care, ensuring tickling is positive and consensual to prevent it from having any negative psychological effects on the child. But tickling can be replaced with healthier options. In healthy play, these ground rules are usually operating. These guidelines ensure fun. They make play an intelligence-building activity.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then