sexually healthy environment

What the Experts are saying . . .
About A Sexually Healthy Environment

When you are educated, calm, and in control about child sexuality, your child gets a sense that sexuality is natural and healthy. What an important gift from parent to child!" -Brandy Steelhammer, MSW - (In "Dealing Effectively with Child Sexual Behaviors," May 2003, p. 4)

"Start early. A history of talking about sex makes it a more comfortable topic when they're adolescents. When you are teaching toddlers the names of body parts, include the names of sexual organs. When it comes up naturally during childhood, discuss what sex is. ...Bring up the topic yourself if your child has not asked any questions." -Psychologist David Walsh - (In 'No,' New York: Free Press, 2007, pp. 175-176)

"Open discussion among adults concerning childhood sexuality would clear away much uncertainty and create a much healthier atmosphere for children." -Psychologists B.H. Gunderson, P. S. Melas, and J. ESkar (In F.M. Constantine % L.L. Martinson (Eds.) Children and Sex,Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1981, p. 59)"... Ambivalent reactions on the part of adults can easily complicate children's sexual development, and use of restrictions is thought to contribute to children's feelings of anxiety, shame, and guilt in relation to their sexuality."

"It would be an act of kindness and love for adults to acknowledge the presence of this awareness (of a child's sexual nature) and to share with their children the true facts of life so that they may help their children to grow in a healthy manner. Apparently, although many families are unable or unwilling to do this, it has not stopped, now or ever, the generation-to-generation flow of sex knowledge that is whispered, snickered, and fantasized about. Sex education does exist. The only option is whether it should come from adults or peers. By turning one's back on children's needs in this area, one condemns them to doubt, anxiety, fear, and even exploitation. A positive acknowledgement is the only responsible course of action." -Psychologists Samuel S. Janus & Barbara E. Bess (In L.L. Constantine & F.M. Martinson (Eds.) Children & Sex, Boston: Little, Brown & Company, 1981, p. 82)

"Since the bodyself can be a vivid source of shame, it is important for children to be able to explore themselves with appropriate developmental information from parents. ...Persons growing up in a family where sexual development is affirmed will have higher self-esteem." -Psychologists Merle Fossum & Marilyn J. Mason (In 'Facing Shame, Families in Recovery,' New York: Norton Publishing, 1986, p. 83)

"(Children should be taught) that sex is natural and pleasurable, an important part of the human experience, and that (they) deserve pleasure. That's not what I was told. I wasn't told much at all, but the things that I was told tended to be on the negative side." -Dr. Hilda Hutcherson, author of 'What your mother never told you about S-E-X,' (Quoted in 'A mission of her own," 11-5-07 Newsweek, p. 48

“The opportunity for unimpeded childhood sex play and the acquisition of complete and realistic sex knowledge appears to prepare the child to cope with the sexual implications of puberty with minimal conflict, sexual dysfunction, or failures of satisfying heterosexual function.” -Psychologist Warren J. Gadpaille,- in the Journal of Child Psychiatry, 15, pp. 679-692, 1976

“The opportunity for unimpeded childhood sex play and the acquisition of complete and realistic sex knowledge appears to prepare the child to cope with the sexual implications of puberty with minimal conflict, sexual dysfunction, or failures of satisfying heterosexual function.” -Psychologist Warren J. Gadpaille, in the Journal of Child Psychiatry, 15, pp. 679-692, 1976

"The opportunity for unimpeded childhood sex play and the acquisition of complete and realistic sex knowledge appears to prepare the child to cope with the sexual implications of puberty with minimal conflict, sexual dysfunction, or failures of satisfying heterosexual function." -Psychologist Warren J. Gadpaille, in the Journal of Child Psychiatry, 15, pp. 679-692, 1976)

"One of the crucial developmental tasks in adolescence and early childhood is learning to combine intimacy and friendship with sex." -David Finkelhor, sexual abuse researcher and current director of the Crimes Against Children Research Institute, (In Constantine & Martinson, 1981, p. 143)