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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 May 1.
Published in final edited form as: Dev Psychopathol. 2014 Mar 12;26(2):451–464. doi: 10.1017/S0954579414000054
0 None
 Child did not physically contact the experimenters. There was no physical contact between the E and child, except for that which happened by chance or is required to get a task done.
1 Physical contact as a tool
 Physical contact between E and child occurred, but it was as if the E was a tool or a piece of the furniture. Child may have used E as a support in getting to a toy or pushed E’s hand to get her to do something.
2 Initiated low-level physical contact
 Physical contact between E and child occurred and was initiated by child. Child may have leaned against the E while playing, when it was unnecessary. The sense here is not that E was furniture, but that the contact was pleasant to the child. Contact was pretty low level, though, and tended to involve child’s hand, back, leg or arm. There was no evidence of the child initiating contact that would have brought more “intimate” parts of their body into contact with the E.
3 Initiated physical contact on a familiar-level
 Physical contact between the E and child occurred, was initiated by the child and involved contact of the child’s bottom, chest, or face with the E’s body. Sitting in the E’s lap, or leaning of the torso and face against the E’s side/arm counts here. This behavior might seem appropriate if the E were the child’s teacher or a friend of the family with whom the child is very familiar.
4 Initiated intimate physical contact
 Physical contact between the E and child occurred, was initiated by the child, and involved active attempts to snuggle and to get E to respond. This behavior would seem appropriate if the E were the child’s mother, child care provider, close grandparent or aunt/uncle, or someone who is in the circle of “loved ones.”
5 Initiated physical contact that invaded the E’s privacy
 Physical contact between the E and the child occurred, was initiated by the child, and invaded the E’s privacy. This may have involved playing with the E’s face or earrings in a way that required the child to bring his/her face within an inch or so of the E’s face. Touching intimate parts of the E’s body (i.e. breasts, bottom) would certainly count here. Also counting would be lifting of the child’s clothing so that the child’s skin touched the E or if the child rubbed his/her chest, bottom, etc. against the E even if skin was not exposed. This level of physical contact would be odd even with the parent if the child is beyond toddlerhood and with other “loved ones” even for a toddler. It has a sense of being sexually provocative.