Anatomy of Touch

BBC Radio 4 LW

Original version

BBC Radio 4 FM

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Anatomy of Touch: Don't Touch

Don't Touch

BBC Radio 4 - Anatomy of Touch, Don't Touch

BBC Touch Test looks at attitudes to touch from strangers and work colleagues.

BBC Touch Test results from nearly 40,000 people show how people feel about touch from strangers and in the work place. Is it OK for your boss to greet you with a kiss?

Campaigner and activist Amy Kavanagh is partially sighted and on her daily trip to work receives much unwanted touch. Some touch from strangers is well meaning but without her consent, while she is also subject to abusive and violent touch. Claudia Hammond talks to Dr Natalie Bowling from Greenwich University and co-creator of the BBC Touch Test about what the results tell us about touch between strangers. Where do people find it acceptable for strangers to touch them, what are the differences between men and women, how would most people like to be greeted by their boss and is it OK for your boss to kiss you at a party?

The study looked at attitudes around consent and Joanna Bourke  Professor of History at Birkbeck, University of London, looks at issues of consent and entitlement. And while it might seem that social distancing would prevent unwanted touch, evidence suggests that there is a transfer of the abuse online. Meanwhile for Amy she isn’t travelling to work anymore because the pandemic means she can’t see who is around her and the risk of catching Covid is too high.  But she does have a campaign ready for when she can travel again which is #JustAskDon’tGrab.

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Documentaries

Factual: Health & Wellbeing

How important is touch to us? Claudia Hammond reveals the BBC Touch Test results.

What does touch mean to us and how has the need for touch changed because of Covid-19? Claudia Hammond reveals the BBC Touch Test results.

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Anatomy of Touch

Don't Touch

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