Discovering Human Sexuality 4e Chapter 10 Outline

Some Forms of Childhood Sexual Expression Are Common

In contemporary Western culture, children are insulated from sex

Box 10.1 Talking with Children about Sex

Some children engage in solitary sexual activity

Sex with others can occur during childhood

Cultures vary in their attitudes toward childhood sexuality

Some Children Have Sexual Contacts with Adults

Most adult-child contacts involve older children and are single encounters

Some kinds of adult-child sex are more harmful than others

Strategies to prevent adult-child sex are quite effective

Box 10.2 Sex and Suggestibility

Preadolescence May Be Marked by an Increase in Sexual Interest

Preadolescent children segregate by sex

Strict gender norms may traumatize children who become gay or trans adults

Puberty Is a Period of Rapid Maturation

Puberty is marked by visible and invisible changes

Box 10.3 My First Period

Puberty occurs earlier in girls than boys

What drives puberty?

The body signals its readiness for puberty to the brain

Puberty may come too early or too late

Adolescence Is a Time of Sexual Exploration

Many cultures have puberty rites

There are social influences on teen sexual behavior

Box 10.4 Sex-ed—What Teens Say

Social media have risks and benefits

Males masturbate more than females

The sexual activity of American teens increased and then decreased

The meaning of “virginity loss” varies

Teen Sexuality Is Central to Identity Development

Teen relationships are often short-lived

Teen pregnancy is declining but is still too common