Woman stunned by the way Swedish girls are raised, says it should be mandatory in the US
'Their bodies remember: you have a right. Ours remember: don’t upset anyone.'
In Sweden, it's not rude to say no when you're not comfortable with someone's touch. In fact, consent is something that children are taught very early in their lives. In a video posted on November 8, Alexandrina Vasilkevich (@alexandrinamindpro on Instagram) shared lessons Swedish girls grow up learning — and it's something she feels the USA and the whole world could benefit from too.
Vasilkevich was shocked when she realized that Swedish girls grow up learning some core values that are apparently "strange" in her culture. At 13, she said, Swedish girls aren't lectured about morality or modesty but are taught to set clear boundaries. The teens are taught about their bodies and grow up realizing that their bodies can't be the only way to please someone. Vasilkevich shared that the girls know that they aren't obligated to owe anyone just because they gave them a little attention. "They learn to say 'no' without excuses. Meanwhile, in many other countries, 'I just don’t want to' is still seen as rude. By adulthood, Swedish women live in their bodies — ours often live despite them," she wrote. Vasilkevich also mentioned how Sweden introduces self-protection tools in schools and encourages open conversations about consent. "A girl who says 'don’t touch me' isn’t scolded — she’s praised. That rewires something deep: self-preservation stops being defiance and becomes instinct. Confidence isn’t learned later — it’s built into the nervous system," she said. Vasilkevich recounted a story about a Swedish student who refused to hug everyone at a party.
She said she wasn't comfortable and knew that her comfort wasn't a privilege but her basic right. "She grew up knowing that respecting her limits isn’t rebellion—it’s normal," Vasilkevich mentioned. Moving on, she explained how in most cultures, saying no is seen as arrogance, but in Sweden, it's different. Vasilkevich believed that since self-consent is taught in teenage years, women are raised without fear or obligations. "The real divide isn’t geography — it’s body memory. Their bodies remember: you have a right. Ours remember: don’t upset anyone. That fracture ripples into adulthood — how we love, speak up, and protect ourselves," she added. When kids aren't openly talked to about intimacy, consent, boundaries, and respecting the other gender, things can go unbelievably wrong. Despite awareness, most schools in the United States don't teach these lessons to children. In fact, a study led by Dr. Kimberly Nelson from the Boston University School of Public Health, along with experts from Cornell Law School and Florida International University, raised serious concerns about it.
The study found that while 42 states in the U.S. support public schools teaching some sex education to students, only 19 states ensure that what they are teaching is medically accurate. This suggests that in most schools, students might be taught only opinions or beliefs instead of proven facts. A majority of people loved the Swedish culture of teaching boys and girls about consent from an early age. For instance, @cherielynnoneill commented, "Love this! Imagine a world where girls are taught that they have the right to set boundaries."
@taptisharma shared, "As soon as they learn to talk, children are taught to say, 'STOP MIN CROP,' meaning 'stop, it’s my body,' while also indicating with their hands the stop sign. It’s simple yet effective. Early on, it’s used to stop another child if they are playing roughly, or tickling, or basically doing anything the child is not comfortable with. It’s early modeling to indicate they have full autonomy on who touches them. I think it’s excellent. They learn to respect these words when adults use them too; for example, if she is being too physical and climbing on me to play, I can also say, 'Stop, min crop,' and they respect it. It’s not seen as something to be offended by, as it’s modeled early and is just something that needs to be respected."
You can follow Alexandrina Vasilkevich (@alexandrinamindpro) on Instagram for more lifestyle content.
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