I'm unsure if this experience counts as assault. When I was 9-10 years old at camp, another girl my age undressed in front of other children during a wilderness overnight trip. Afterward, she forced me to remove my shirt and wouldn't give it back, causing me to go to the counselor crying in shame. Unfortunately, the counselor sided with her. Would this be considered an experience of assault?

Thank you for sharing this experience with us. What you described involves another person forcing you to remove your shirt against your will and then withholding it, leading to feelings of shame and humiliation. Your feelings surrounding this incident are completely valid.

What happened to you can be considered a violation of your personal boundaries. Being forced to remove clothing against your will represents an infringement on your bodily autonomy, regardless of the age of the person who did this. Even between peers of the same age, harmful power dynamics can emerge where one child exerts control over another in ways that cause significant distress.

It's particularly concerning that when you sought help from the counselor, they sided with the other child rather than addressing your obvious distress. When authority figures dismiss or minimize harmful experiences, it can compound feelings of shame and confusion, and may even teach children that their boundaries don't matter.

Rather than focusing exclusively on whether this fits a specific label like "assault," what matters most is acknowledging that this was a genuine violation that caused you real distress. Everyone's experiences and reactions are unique, and it's okay to feel unsure about how to categorize what happened. The impact of such experiences varies widely from person to person, and your feelings about it are valid regardless of what terminology might apply.

If this memory continues to affect you, please know that many people find it helpful to process childhood boundary violations with a compassionate professional who specializes in supporting those who've experienced such violations. Reaching out, as you've done here, is already a brave step toward understanding and healing. 

Thank you so much for trusting us with this. You are not alone.