Describe what is known about masturbation in young children and how parents might respond

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

- Occasional masturbation is a normal behavior of many infants and preschoolers. Up to one-third of children in this age group discover masturbation while exploring their bodies, just as they explore all their parts of their bodies eventually. They find it feels good to touch their genitals and sometimes continue to do so. Genital or urinary infections do not cause masturbation; they cause pain or itching, inciting the child to scratch the area, but this is different from masturbation.
- By age 5 or 6, most children have learned that genital touching is not to be done in public places, and they masturbate only in private. Masturbation becomes increasingly common in puberty in response to the surges in hormones and sexual drive that occur at that time.
- How should a parent deal with masturbation in their young children? Here are some suggestions:
1. Once your child has discovered and enjoys masturbation, it is not realistic to eliminate it entirely. A reasonable goal is to control where it occurs. Perhaps limit it to the bathroom or bedroom. Tell your child that it is something that should be done only in private. Don't ignore it completely; if you do, your child may think it's acceptable anytime and anyplace, which may result in criticism by adults and chiding by other children.
2. Ignore masturbation at naptime and bedtime. Keep in mind that this is often a self-comforting activity.
3. When masturbation occurs outside of the child's bedroom, try distracting the child with a different activity. If this fails, remind the child that you know it feels good, but it is not allowed in front of other people.
4. Discuss your views on the behavior with others who may care for the child so that everyone is on the same page. Consistency among caregivers is key to success for all child behavior management.
5. Call the child's physician if you suspect that the masturbatory behavior may have been learned from someone else, if your child tries to masturbate others, or if your child continues to masturbate in front of others.
- Masturbation does not cause physical injury to the body, promiscuity, or sexual deviance later in life. Masturbation in children is normal. Masturbation is not a problem or considered excessive unless it is deliberately done in public places after the age of 5 or 6. Masturbation generally leads to negative emotional consequences only if adults overreact to it and make it seem dirty or forbidden.