I'm French (and we're not exactly puritan about sexual undertones in the social context) and I guess it all boils down to whether or not the huggee actually wan

I'm French (and we're not exactly puritan about sexual undertones in the social context) and I guess it all boils down to whether or not the huggee actually wants to be hugged by the hugger. Hugging by itself is harmless, but when you're physically embracing someone and forcing a hug on them (especially if you're in a position of power) you're basically robbing them from their chance to exercise free will, which is of course problematic.