The big-sister guide · by Divya Dixit

That cold feeling isn’t nothing. It’s information.

A teen girl’s guide to noticing, naming and staying safe: on the bus, at tuition, at home, in love and online. Written the way a big sister would tell you, with real Indian stories and no lectures.

Get the book on Amazon Read real stories
For girls 13+ 14 illustrated chapters Indian laws and helplines
Cover of Trust the Goosebumps: A Teen Girl's Guide to Noticing, Naming and Staying Safe. A schoolgirl with earphones stands at a bus stop, her arm glowing with goosebumps.
Body·Heart·Online·India

The whole book in five words

Every chapter hangs on the same five moves. Remember these, and you’re better prepared than most adults.

  1. Notice

    Your body signals first. The goosebumps are the early warning.

  2. Name

    Say what it is, instead of explaining it away.

  3. Decide

    Pick your move: leave, speak, or get to people.

  4. Document

    If there’s something to save, save it.

  5. Reach

    A trusted person, a helpline, the law if you need it.

The Goosebump Files

Real stories, read with the three-light test

Each story comes from a published news report, with every name removed. The book says most real situations start yellow, not red, so noticing yellow early gives you the most time to act. Here’s where each one turned.

Green: comfortable, respected Yellow: feels off, pressured, secretive Red: threatening or harmful Help arrived

Quiet check-in. Some of these stories are heavy. If one lands close to home, put a hand on your chest, breathe in for four and out for six. You can stop and come back later.

Showing 6 of 6 stories

Try the three-light test

Green, yellow or red?

23 made-up scenarios from across the book: the bus, tuition, the hostel, crushes, group chats, parties and home. Green feels comfortable. Red feels threatening. Yellow is the big one: it feels off, and it’s enough to act on.

Scenario 1 of 23 · made up

Inside the book

Fourteen chapters. Read them in any order.

Short, illustrated chapters that follow five girls through real situations: the crowded bus, the cousin who only ever helps, the threat at 11:40 at night. Every chapter ends with “If you remember only three things.”

★ A heavier chapter. For younger readers, it helps to read it with an adult the first time.

Illustration of the five girls from the book sitting together around a table, filling in their safety plans.
Meet the girls

You’ll grow up with them across the book

  • Aanya13Takes her space back on the 7:40 bus.
  • Fatima15Three weeks into hostel life, and facing family pressure.
  • Simran16Has a cousin who “only ever helps.”
  • Diya16Uses a wheelchair, and knows “just leave” isn’t always simple.
  • Riya17Gets a screenshot threat that wasn’t even real.
Before you pass it on

For the adult who gives her this book

Parents, teachers, counsellors and relatives: a few things from the book’s opening page that make it land better.

  • Offer it, don’t assign it. “I found this, thought of you, no pressure” beats a lecture. Let her read it privately and in any order.
  • If she tells you something, believe her first. Save every “why were you there” question. That is blame, and it teaches her to stop talking.
  • Don’t take over. Ask “what would help right now?” rather than deciding for her, unless she’s in immediate danger.
  • Be nearby for the ★ chapters. Grooming, family pressure, drinks and what to do after harm are heavier for younger readers.
Your very first words matter most“Thank you for telling me. This isn’t your fault. I’m glad you did.”

Schools, NGOs & counsellors

Bring the book and its real stories into the classroom.

  • Talks and workshops for girls 13+
  • Bulk copies at school pricing
  • A discussion guide pairing each chapter with a Goosebump File
  • The Full Book adds worksheets, tear-out safety cards and an Adult Guide
Enquiry form · coming soon
Keep these close

You’re not in trouble. Reach someone.

Not sure if it’s an emergency? Treat it as one and call 112. Whatever you did in the moment, froze, went along, stayed quiet, was survival, not consent, and never your fault.

112Emergency: police, ambulance, fire
1098Childline, anyone under 18, 24×7
181Women’s helpline
1930Cyber fraud and online money
cybercrime.gov.inReport online abuse, sextortion, fake accounts
14416Tele-MANAS, free mental-health support

If intimate images taken before you were 18 are online, TakeItDown.ncmec.org can help remove them. Numbers were correct when the book was published; please check current details.