Families logo

Children: Sexuality Between 7 And 11 Years Of Age

Through play, children explore their sexuality

By HowToFind .comPublished 3 years ago 3 min read
Like
Children: Sexuality Between 7 And 11 Years Of Age
Photo by Piron Guillaume on Unsplash

Children start to become more aware of social norms from the age of 6, and this will allow them to begin to regulate their behavior with respect to their language and sexuality.

It is at this stage when they begin to be more modest and demure, and therefore realize that words are considered bad and that they cannot expose their bodies to friends knowing what privacy is.

This, they begin to be curious about the sexuality of people of a different sex than the one he or she has.

They begin to explore but with more care, because they fear being blamed by adults, being still a healthy curiosity and that sharpens when they want to know more about the sexual behavior of adults or that they will live in a few years, that means that they are approaching the pubertal stage (name that evokes the pubic hairs that begin to appear on the body from 8 to 9 years old).

It becomes usual to want to look for situations with sexual content (red jokes, jokes about genitals or underwear, videos, drawings, magazines, etc. always with some sexual content. Thus, fantasies linked to romanticism, "falling in love" and tastes for other boys or girls begin to appear.

So, at this stage, starting to talk to them about sexuality (which also implies affection, love, values, norms, decisions, etc.) helps them to manage their emotions and the pressure of their friends.

With adequate information, they can take control of their lives and live "loving" relationships in the future.

In addition, it serves as information to prevent physical and emotional abuse.

Is it wrong to give too much information?

No, because the information does not encourage children or adolescents to become sexually initiated or to think about sex at every moment.

On the contrary, it has been seen that misinformation makes them not feel free to express themselves and they look for information in an inadequate way.

Too much information will be found on the Internet or other places as long as parents or teachers do not talk to them about the subject.

Thus, if they begin to be properly informed and oriented as children, as teenagers they can make better decisions about sex when they have the information they need and when there is no taboo about what can be talked about at home.

If we consider that the best thing to do is to talk to them when they are teenagers, it is probably too late, since children do not live in bubbles, but in a society that brings a lot of information about sexuality without limits.

Common sexual behaviors between 7 and 11 years of age

By Ben Wicks on Unsplash

- Touching genitals (masturbation), usually in private.

- Playing games with children of the same age that involve sexual behavior (such as "truth or dare," "drunk bottle," "play family," "boyfriend/girlfriend").

- Trying to look at other people when they are naked or undressing.

- Looking at nude or semi-nude pictures of people (on social media).

- Watching, listening to sexual material through media (TV, movies, games, internet, music, etc.).

- Wanting more privacy (e.g., refusing to undress in front of others) and resisting talking to adults about sexual topics.

- Beginning to feel sexual attraction and interest in other boys or girls their age.

- Pre-teens worry a lot about whether they are "normal" in relation to their bodies and emotions.

- Males worry about the size of their penis and females worry about the size of their breasts or buttocks.

- They talk about sexuality issues but don't necessarily know what it really means.

Basic information they should have:

- Basic information about reproduction, pregnancy and childbirth.

- Information about physical changes and menstruation, nighttime pollution, masturbation. Men and women should know what happens with the other sex.

- Risks associated with sexual activity.

- Benefits and pleasure of sexuality

- Sexual health, sexual hygiene

- Basic information on contraceptive methods

- Masturbation is common and not associated with problems but should be done in private.

- Reassure them that no two people are alike.

What should they know about prevention?

By Artem Kniaz on Unsplash

- Sexual abuse may or may not include touching.

- How to maintain safety and personal boundaries when chatting with or meeting someone virtual.

- How to recognize and avoid risks in social situations.

- Rules when having crushes or when dating, meeting, partying, etc.

- Differences between attraction, liking, infatuation, crushes, dating, friends with rights, love.

- We should let them fit in with their peers (their own age) but encourage them to think and make decisions for themselves.

- Guidelines on where to go and what to do in case of risk.

children
Like

About the Creator

HowToFind .com

More info at https://howtofind.com

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.