Presentazione

da "www.healthnews.com"

By: Allie Montgomery
Published: Thursday, 3 September 2009
 
When it comes to our children, most parents do not want to hear the phrase “sexual behavior in children," especially when the children in question are between the ages of 2 and 6.  However, a report that was published by the American Academy of Pediatrics actually offers some reassuring advice for parents that gives them a clear sense of when a child’s sexual behavior could be a signal for physical or sexual abuse, and when it is normal. This can give the parents the chance for a small lesson on appropriate behavior.

But first, the topic that makes parents break a sweat. Here is a list of what pediatricians say is normal, common sexual behavior for children between the ages of 2 and 6:

• Masturbating/touching genitals in private or in public places
• Looking at or touching a friends or new siblings genital area
• Showing their genitals to peers
• Sitting or standing too close to someone else
• Trying to look at other peers or adults naked

O.K., you can breath now. The good news is that these behaviors listed are usually few and far between. If this does happen, parents can redirect their child to more appropriate behaviors by saying a phrase like “Grownups do that in private, and you should, too.” A book that was written by Mark Schuster, a pediatrician from Harvard, called Everything You Never Wanted Your Kids to Know About Sex (but Were Afraid They’d Ask), can also offer some helpful hints in situations that you don’t exactly know what to say to your child. Pediatricians say that even very small children can be experts at picking up on when a parent is embarrassed, and this could cause them to repeat the sexual behavior to get a parent’s attention. So, it is best to stay calm when talking to your child about masturbation or other steamy subjects.

But as parents, we also need to know when a child’s sexual behavior is not considered normal. The pediatricians state that sexual behaviors like these are rarely normal and signals signs of sexual or physical abuse:

• Any sexual behaviors between children that are four or more years apart
• Different sexual behaviors that are displayed on a daily basis
• Any sexual behavior that causes physical or emotional pain
• Any sexual behavior that is associated with physical aggression
• Any sexual behavior that involves coercion

Coercion can be very hard to explain to small children. Schuster suggests to start by saying, “It isn’t nice to make someone do something he doesn’t want to do. I only want you to play like that with your friend if he wants to do it also.” Or, if the situation is the other way around and you think that your child is being coerced, you might say, “Has anyone ever made you do something like that that you didn’t want to do?”

With all of these new guidelines for pediatricians, the future hope is that physicians will be well prepared when parents come to them with their concerns about children’s sexual behavior. Ideally, both the physicians and parents will know when it is the right time to be worried and take action, or when we as adults can say that the behavior is normal, and we can deal with it.