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    Categories: FamilyFamilylife

Studies Explained Why Tickling Kids Can Be Harmful And Parents Should Think Twice Before Doing It


Tickling children may have harmful effects.

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  A study showed that only 32% of the respondents reported enjoying being tickled, 32% with neutral responses and 36% reported that they disliked it. Most people do it and assume it to be normal but now it seems like people didn’t know enough about it.

#1.point 221 |
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Just because a child is giggling doesn’t mean they’re enjoying being tickled.point 74 |

point 74 |
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Children can barely hold their laughter when being tickled, no matter how much they hate it.point 270 |

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Their laughter makes parents mistaken that the child is enjoying the act even if they are not.point 78 | 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.point 249 |

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Tickling makes one laugh but it doesn’t mean they enjoy it.point 55 | 1

 

#2. Tickling is a way to assert dominance.

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A person loses self-control when being tickled. Losing control can leave a child with bad memories that can last for their whole life. Adults may mean no harm but it can have negative effects on the child.

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Dr. Richard Alexander, Professor of Evolutionary Biology at the University of Michigan says that tickling can very well be a form of dominance and the laughing that follows is an evolutionary way of showing submissiveness.

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#3. The child may not be able to tell you to stop.

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Tickling may cause uncontrollable laughter that is hard to stop. This laughter can get worse until it reaches a point where one can’t tell you to stop or even bring breathing problems. A mere fun act can have dangerous effects.

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#4. Tickling may cause lifelong trust issues.

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According to Dr. Alexander, tickling someone against their will can actually cause “great mental pain.” This pain can actually linger for a lifetime.

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Patty Wipfler, who is a parenting expert and the founder and director of the Hand in Hand Organization says that from her experience, tickling during childhood is a common cause for emotional challenges even in adults.point 199 | She writes, “In my many years of listening to adults talk about the emotional challenges of their lives as children, tickling comes up again and again as an experience that has been hurtful.point 377 |

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” She says the trauma can lead to a situation where the person affected can’t relax when others are in close proximity to them, they feel insecure even while sleeping close to a trusted partner, and are internally on guard any time there’s more than casual touching between them and someone they love.point 269 | 1

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