It's not like that everywhere. I teach in a public school and whilst I most certainly respect students 'personal bubble', I'm not a robot.

If someone's doing a good job, I'll fist bump them or shake hands if that's what they want. I would never hug a student or touch them in any way that could be considered intimate, but then again, it's a workplace and I wouldn't do it with my colleagues either unless we're good friends outside of school (in which case I wouldn't give them a hug in front of the kids anyway).

I've had kids hug me without asking. Yeah it's awkward but provided there's other adults around, I'll pat them on the back or try and be reassuring. I'm generally not alone with kids so I can't say I've ever had a student hug me where it hasn't been visible to other staff members who could verify I was the 'recipient' and everything was above board.

Part of this is also being aware of your relationship with the individual student. Don't ever be alone with a kid in the first place, that instantly removes a bunch of potential issues. Have a reputation as someone who respects people's space. You wouldn't touch another teacher you didn't have a positive working relationship with, so don't do it to a student.

I don't believe anyone is out there actively looking for reasons to level accusations at male teachers. Respect people's space. Respect people's boundaries. Be aware of the nature of your relationships and listen to people's wants/needs. Do all that and it's unlikely you're going to have a problem.