Sexuality Development in Childhood

Abstract

Children's sexualitySexuality has been a taboo subject in many societies, but its existence is undeniable. A variety of sexual behaviorSexual behaviors such as masturbationMasturbation are evident starting in early childhood. Sexual gamesSexual games become frequent in middle childhood, especially among girls. Cross-cultural and cross-species evidence suggests that sexual desireSexual desire emerges around middle childhood, along with adrenarcheAdrenarche, which is the early phase of puberty. However, sexualitySexuality in childhood does not always signify sexual orientationSexual orientation in later developmental stages. In addition, different biosocial factors appear to contribute to the development of sexualitySexuality during childhood. Taking a developmental systemsDevelopmental systems perspective, this chapter synthesizes existing evidence and points out areas for future research. The substantive gaps involve examining co-acting and bidirectional processes in sexuality developmentSexuality development, focusing on sexual agencySexual agency, and recording dynamic change. Transforming research methods and fostering societal recognition of children's sexualitySexuality may be critical for not only advancing research on sexuality developmentSexuality development in childhood, but also improving children's well-being.