One theme throughout this course is that sexual development and behavior is not black-and-white. As discussed in Lesson One, sexual development is made up of many parts, and many factors influence those parts. This makes it challenging to place behavior into a single category, including even normative behavior. Use the information you learn about normative sexual development and behavior as guidelines rather than hard and fast rules. Remember that normative sexual behavior in children is typical and follows a developmental sequence but also varies depending on the child.

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Normative Sexual Development and Behavior

身体接触、勘探和玩的the ways humans learn to relate to others and themselves. Newborns are soothed by their caregivers’ touch. Being held, rocked, fed, and changed are examples of physical touch that help caregivers and infants bond. As they become more alert and their movements mature, infants learn to soothe themselves by bringing hands to mouth and will eventually explore their bodies by kicking, reaching, and rolling. Many infants will discover their genitals, and touching private parts is often one of the first sexual behaviors caregivers observe in children. The term “private parts” is used to refer to genitals, breasts, buttocks, or areas of the body usually covered by a swimsuit. While touching genitals is considered a sexual behavior because it involves a body part or topic we consider private, it is important that you think of behavior from the viewpoint of children. As children grow, so does their understanding of what is sexual, and we must remember not to sexualize, or place unnecessary sexual meaning, on behaviors we observe in children. An infant who touches their genitals learns that when they move and touch their body parts, they experience pleasurable sensations; this is an exploratory, normative sexual behavior. You may see normative sexual behavior referred to as “sex play,” due to the curious and innocent nature. Review the information below to learn other examples of normative sexual development and behavior for children at different developmental stages.

What are your thoughts on the normative sexual behavior examples described above? Have you observed these behaviors when caring for children? Let’s take one of the listed examples, a toddler who enjoys being nude, and think about this from the lens of a child. Toddlers who take their clothes off likely enjoy the freedom of not being constrained by clothing. To sexualize this behavior, which you will want to avoid, would be to assume that the child takes their clothes off so others will look at their body. However, children at this developmental stage have a very limited understanding of how bodies are related to sex and attraction, instead this toddler’s normative behavior is related to exploring the sensation of being naked. Remember from Lesson One that you must think about many factors when you observe sexual behavior in children. Be aware that there are normative behaviors for some children not included in the information above.

The lines between expected ages for normative sexual behavior can be unclear and are influenced by children’s family experiences. For example, some mothers choose to extend breastfeeding well beyond infancy and toddlerhood. It may be normative for a child who breastfeeds through their preschool or early elementary years to continue to nestle with and touch their mother’s breasts beyond the age of 6. Another way that families’ affect sexual knowledge is through their children’s media exposure. It is common for some families to have the television or electronic devices on throughout the day, with varying levels of awareness and supervision regarding the content. Very young children who have viewed or heard adult media content may have somewhat more advanced knowledge of sex and adult relationships. You might see a toddler with such a family environment imitate “romantically” kissing and fondling a doll. This child may not understand the meaning of these behaviors, rather they simply mimic what they have seen at home.

Responding to Sexual Behavior:In the Moment

在课程中，您能够反思您可能对童年性发展和行为的任何不适感。请记住，可能需要时间来学习信息并实现新实践。即使对于具有儿童的性行为的知识和经验的专业人士，甚至通过恐慌或变得慌乱，常常应对儿童的性行为。虽然性行为是典型的，但大多数你可能在孩子身上观察到规范，仍然是教孩子界限并提供支持仍然很重要。审查这些指南，了解如何应对儿童的性行为in the moment。

1. Pause

   • Remain calm
   • Collect your thoughts

2. Redirect

   • Change the routine or environment
   • Suggest other activities

3. 听

   • Find out information
   • Understand from the child's viewpoint

4. Teach

   • Communicate expectations and rules
   • Reinforce appropriate behavior

Responding to Sexual Behavior:After the Fact

一旦你有了观察和对儿童作出回应sexual behavior in the moment, you will follow up with additional steps. Again, children’s sexual behavior is not black-and-white, and you may need time to process what happened and how you responded. Work with a coworker during these steps so you know you are moving forward in a manner that best supports the children involved.

1. Reflect

   • Consider all known information
   • Determine the type of behavior

2. Prepare

   • Know how to respond in the moment:pause那redirect那listen那andteach那in the future

3. Communicate

   • Communicate with the teaching team
   • Determine communication with families

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Though what is normative versus non-normative is not always clear, some sexual behaviors are commonly observed in children and youth. Listen as an expert describes normative sexual behaviors you can expect to see in children and youth at different developmental stages. Have you observed any of these behaviors in children or youth in your program?

Normative Sexual Behaviors

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Promoting Healthy Sexual Development and Preventing Sexual Behavior Challenges

Promotion and prevention are terms you see throughout the Virtual Lab School, especially in the Supporting Children with Challenging Behavior Focused Topics course and Positive Guidance Foundational course. These same principles apply to sexual development and behavior. You can promote healthy sexual development and prevent sexual behavior challenges by empowering children with knowledge about their bodies, their rights, and safe behaviors. Review the suggestions below and reflect on how you may already be doing these things and whether there are new ideas you plan to implement.

Infants and Toddlers

• Teach parts of the body using correct terminology (“private parts” and “bottom” are OK at this age).
• Be responsive to children’s preferences about physical touch. Don’t force hugs, kisses, or holding hands (unless necessary for safety).
• Label and teach “safe touch” (e.g., high fives, fist bumps, help with putting shoes on) and “unsafe touch” (hitting, pushing, biting, touching private parts).
• Label children’s responses to touch using child-friendly language. “Bria looks sad when you push her.”
• Use developmentally appropriate language when diapering and toilet training. “We wipe your bottom to keep it clean.”
• 提供简单的规则。“我们覆盖了我们的私人零件。”“我们不触摸别人的私人部分。”
• Line-of-sight supervision.
• 你的身体很特别，是你的。
• Have readily available information on sexual development and behavior for families.

万博体育全站app学龄前儿童

• Teach parts of the body using correct terminology.
• Respond to questions about bodies and the life cycle with simple, developmentally appropriate answers. “The hole in your penis is your urethra.” “The lumps under my shirt are my breasts.” “Babies grow inside a mother.”
• Our bodies change as we grow, and our bodies are all different.
• Continue to teach and label “safe touch” and “unsafe touch.”
• Teach children to ask permission, even when using safe touch. “Can I hold your hand?”
• Teach children to read each other's cues and healthy ways to express emotions. “How did Leah feel when you put your hands on her legs?”
• Teach children the characteristics of friendship and respect (beginning anti-bullying concepts).
• Teach personal space using simple language, “bubble” or “Hula Hoop.”
• Continue with simple rules, such as: “We keep our private parts covered,” or “We don’t touch others’ private parts,” or “No one should see your private parts unless you need help keeping your body clean,” or “No one should touch you in ways that make you feel sad or hurt.”
• “私人”是当你独自一人和“公共”的时候，就是你和其他人在一起的时候。
• Teach children to ask for permission before taking any pictures or video of others.
• Teach children that they should give permission before others take pictures or video of them.
• 当您孤独时，可以触摸私人部位。
• Line-of-sight supervision.
• 你的身体很特别，是你的。
• Have readily available information on sexual development and behavior for families.

学龄

• 提供有关青春期，再生产和生命周期的准确信息。
• Use accurate information to answer questions about sex and sexual health.
• Teach children and youth to ask permission, even when using acceptable forms of touch.
• 教孩子和青年来阅读彼此的提示，并恭敬地不同意意见和偏好，同时保持关系和友谊。
• Reinforce ways to treat yourself and others with respect and dignity.
• Inform children and youth that they can speak with a program staff member if they have private questions or concerns.
• Create clear rules around personal space, privacy, dating and signs of affection, and use of technology.
• Reinforce that children and youth should ask for permission before taking any pictures or video of others.
• Reinforce that children and youth should give permission before others take any pictures or video of them.
• Teach children and youth to prevent, recognize, and respond to bullying.
• Introduce the concept of sexual harassment.
• Teach children and youth about the various types of abuse.
• Masturbation is normal and healthy but a private activity.
• Line-of-sight supervision.
• Have female hygiene products available (average onset of menstruation in the U.S. is 12 years).
• Have readily available information on sexual development and sexual health for families, children, and youth.