Infant and Child Sexuality: A Sociological Perspective - Ipce

of models, he may select one as a primary source for his behavior patterns,
but he rarely confines his imitation to only one model. The
point is that in the area of sensory, affectional, and sexual behavior
the parents, through secrecy, reticence, and misguided notions as to
what it means to be a proper model for children in these areas, cease
to be a model at all, forcing their offspring to look elsewhere for
their primary model. The child learns whether he is taught or not. If
he is not presented with models, he finds models. Attempts to postpone
his sexual socialization will only be partially successful and the models
he chooses or happens upon will be less than adequate. Given the
nature of human personality, the socialization process continues in
some manner or other from birth to maturity. One can conclude from Broderick’s
research on intimacy patterns of children that intimate associations
and attachments at all ages in infancy and childhood are
necessary to sensory, affectional, and sexual maturity. (Broderick,
1961, 1964, 1966, 1968.)
Children, as well as adults, can learn to discriminate the circumstances
under which various kinds of affectional and sexual behavior
are responsible and appropriate.
Summary
Early childhood years witness a marked intensification of sexual
interest and capacity for erotic response. Erotic awakening is of two
kinds, autoerotic and socio-sexual or interpersonal-erotic. Autoerotic
stimulation in the form of masturbation is frequently observed in
childhood and can be initiated by self-discovery or learned from peers
or older children. Childhood is a time of acquiring facts about sexuality
and children are interested in their own sexuality, the sexuality
of their parents, and subjects relating to birth, the arrival of new
babies, and other family matters.
Sexual and erotic encounters in early childhood involve encounters
with peers, siblings, other relatives or neighbors. “Doctor” and “show
it” games are types of sex play, and romances and romantic relationships
also occur.
Often both heterosexual and homosexual encounters are interspersed
in early childhood. Homosexual encounters usually involve handling of
the genitals of a person of the same sex, although such things as oralgenital
contact may also occur.
Children are also involved in sexual encounters with preadolescents
and adolescents. Here the older often teach the younger. These
relationships can take either heterosexual or homosexual forms. And although
the encounters can and do involve overt sexual activity, they
also involve informal verbal sex education without physical contact.
Child-parental sexual encounters begin with the child’s observation
of his parents’ sexuality. While in some societies children are
confronted with frequent displays of parental sexuality, in the United
States children are generally sheltered from such observations. Sexual
and erotic attachment between parents and even parental nudity are
sometimes kept hidden from the child.
73