Understanding the reasons why children masturbate
is important if you are going to respond sensitively and appropriately to the issue, says Juliet Brown
Most adults feel uncomfortable at the sight of children masturbating. Since we don't want to make children ashamed of their genitals or guilty about their pleasure in them, when we see a child masturbating, what should we do?
To decide how best to respond, it helps to know something about the normal development of this behaviour. Masturbation is almost universal among young children; it begins with exploration of the genitals and becomes a means of comfort and pleasure-seeking. Many parents are never aware of their children's masturbation because it takes place privately or by methods which disguise its function. Others quickly forget what they have seen.
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