Infant and Child Sexuality: A Sociological Perspective - Ipce
Infant and Child Sexuality: A Sociological Perspective - Ipce
Infant and Child Sexuality: A Sociological Perspective - Ipce
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was more inquisitive than sexual.<br />
Both heterosexual <strong>and</strong> homosexual encounters are interspersed in<br />
early childhood. Unlike the case above where the experience was “more<br />
inquisitive than sexual,” in the case to follow the homosexual<br />
experience was “more like scientific research.” It is clear that the<br />
demarcation between what is erotic behavior <strong>and</strong> what is not is not<br />
segregated in the mind of the child as it is in the mind of an adult<br />
observer. For this reason children often feel that adults over-react to<br />
childhood sex play.<br />
As a child I (a boy) experienced several<br />
incidents of homosexual exhibitions, many<br />
heterosexual exhibitions, <strong>and</strong> several instances<br />
of heterosexual play. This exploratory stage was<br />
experienced chiefly between the ages of four to<br />
seven. A secluded spot would be secured for<br />
purposes of observing <strong>and</strong> touching the opposite<br />
sex’s genitals. This happened repeatedly with<br />
two girls, one older <strong>and</strong> one younger. Initiation<br />
for each experience seemed to be about fifty<br />
percent my effort.... At the age of six or seven<br />
my friend (a boy) <strong>and</strong> I had a great curiosity<br />
for exploring the anus. It almost seemed more<br />
like scientific research.<br />
The following homosexual encounter involves oral-genital contact,<br />
but even with such intimate contact the encounter cannot be described<br />
as erotic, at least not for the informant who is a year younger than<br />
the aggressor.<br />
My friend, a boy age five, was giving me (boy<br />
four years of age) a lesson in human anatomy<br />
(that is, sexual anatomy) <strong>and</strong> my curiosity <strong>and</strong><br />
respect for him put a strong sense of importancy<br />
on what we were engaged in. I didn’t remember<br />
then (<strong>and</strong> don’t now) ever having consciously<br />
paid much thought to my genitals before, so this<br />
was quite new to me. Our discussion involved<br />
visual <strong>and</strong> tactile encounter as we had unzipped<br />
our pants <strong>and</strong> upon his direction compared<br />
penises in size, shape, <strong>and</strong> color.<br />
I remember the tactile experimentation quite<br />
well. He wanted to touch his mouth to my<br />
genitals (just before this I had climbed down<br />
from the trailer <strong>and</strong> urinated). I allowed him<br />
oral-genital contact, <strong>and</strong> he came up spitting<br />
<strong>and</strong> exclaiming that it tasted awful.<br />
In homosexual encounters, a young child, usually a boy, is not<br />
infrequently propositioned by an older boy as in the case above. A boy<br />
aged seven may suggest sexual activity which his partner (a boy aged<br />
four) is unwilling to cooperate in, as in the following case. This<br />
results in exhibition on the part of the older boy with obvious<br />
satisfaction for himself <strong>and</strong> at least interest on the part of the<br />
younger boy.<br />
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