Infant and Child Sexuality: A Sociological Perspective - Ipce

held by the eight year old. An interest in a life of one’s own with a
member of the opposite sex and curiosity about that opposite sex is
evident in the preadolescent’s interest in peeping, smutty jokes,
provocative giggling, and the whispering, writing, or spelling of sex
words. (Gesell and Ilg, 1946, p. 321, 324, 325, 369; Ilg and Ames,
1955, p. 204-205).
Nine year olds continue to develop but also continue to have some
of the same interests as eight year olds. However, a greater selfconsciousness
is apparent, and the preadolescent is conscious of his
own attitudes, his home, and his parents’ and siblings’ behavior as
well as of his body. Bodily self-consciousness may have progressed to
where the preadolescent doesn’t desire to be seen in the nude by the
parent of the opposite sex. Awareness of attitudes of others toward
self is heightened as is sensitivity and embarrassment over being
corrected or criticized. Self-projection is apparent in crushes and
hero worship. The preadolescent is oriented more toward his
contemporaries than toward parents. First experiences of conflict
between adult codes and the codes of contemporaries occur, providing
still more opportunities for development of personal identity.
The nine year old is interested in sexuality. The fact that boys
and girls of nine sometimes profess to hate each other is only one step
in the development of mature sexual attitudes and interests through a
complex series of uncertain stages. For despite this profession,
evidence of interest in sex and displays of sexual conceptions that
have already been adopted are abundant. Talk about sex with friends of
the same sex, interest in details of one’s own sex organs and their
functions, sex swearing, and sex poems are all manifestations of this
interest. The nine year old relates to the process of reproduction,
sometimes with questions about fecundity--“Have I a seed in me?” The
division of sexes in play is obvious. Mixed play, if it does occur,
illustrates sexual interest, as kissing games and teasing about boy or
girl friends is a frequent outcome. (Gesell and Ilg, 1946, p. 322, 325,
370; Ames and Ilg, 1955, p. 204-205, 207-208).
The channels of expression which the ten to twelve year old chooses
to demonstrate interest in sex are often considered inappropriate by
adults. Considerable interest in “smutty” jokes is evidenced during
this period. According to Ilg and Ames, eleven and twelve years appear
to be a high point for smutty jokes among children in the United
States. It is part of a general growth gradient through which children
pass. (Ilg and Ames, 1956, p. 207). And it is at least partly because
of rapid and simultaneous development in many areas at once that this
late preadolescent period is commonly characterized by displays of
behavior that appear contradictory. A mixture of good and bad behavior
tends to characterize the situation during late preadolescence; one
where the emergence of independence and self-reliance, a dependence on
individuality, antagonism between the sexes, the need for the security
of gangs, and a growing knowledge of reality and objectivity all are
found. All in all, these components result in what many term
“uncooperative, hard to live with” preadolescents. (Blair and Burton,
1951, p. 2-4).
The biological changes ushered in at puberty are awesome to the
preadolescent. The appearance of pubic hair is a social as well as a
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