What is bodily autonomy?

While personal autonomy is our right to make choices for our lives, bodily autonomy is specifically about the choices we make regarding our body. Having bodily autonomy means that we have agency over our body in all situations and the right to make decisions about our own bodies. That includes deciding who can come into our personal space and touch us.

Bodily autonomy is an important thing for all children to learn. Children who understand that they have bodily autonomy are less likely to be abused — and more likely to recognize and report abuse if it happens.

For people with disabilities, bodily autonomy means respecting not only every part of their body, but also their mobility devices and other assistive devices, which can be like extension of their body. It’s important to respect a person’s personal space and autonomy when it comes to their devices.

For more information, see our full article Teaching Children About Consent — Consent 101.