How to Determine if Young Child’s Masturbation is a Sign of Sexual Abuse

Many people worry about whether it is normal for a young child to masturbate. While masturbation is completely normal for a young child, excessive or compulsive masturbation is not. If you have concerns about whether your child has been sexually abused, talk with your child’s pediatrician or a child psychologist. Here is how to determine if a young child’s masturbation is a sign of sexual abuse.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Understand that it is normal for a young child to fondle himself occasionally. Even before puberty, it feels good to a child to touch his or her own genitals. There is no reason to assume that the child has been sexually abused just because he occasionally sticks his hands down his pants.

2. Resist the urge to overreact. For most children who have not been sexually abused, a simple request to move masturbation into a bedroom or bathroom will stop public masturbating.

3. Determine how frequently the child is masturbating. If a young child touches his private parts occasionally, or even daily, there is little cause for concern. However, if a young child is masturbating multiple times a day on an ongoing basis, there might be a problem.

4. Assess the intensity of the young child’s masturbation. Normal masturbation for a young child involves light stroking. Masturbation that injures the child or involves inserting objects into the body is cause for concern.

5. Determine whether the young child’s masturbation is compulsive. A young child engaging in normal masturbation has the ability to stop when it is inappropriate, just as a child can stop picking his nose when asked to do so. A child who has been sexually abused might have a difficult time stopping masturbating.

6. Educate yourself about other signs of masturbation that are linked to sexual abuse. See the Resources section for links to other articles that provide additional information about masturbation in young children that raises a red flag for sexual abuse.

7. Contact a therapist. If you suspect that your child might have been sexually abused, seek professional help. With a good therapist and your support, your child can recover from the abuse.

Tips & Warnings

• When in doubt, contact a child psychologist to evaluate your child for possible sexual abuse. Children who have been sexually abused frequently exhibit other signs in addition to excessive masturbation. A professional can help you determine whether your young child has been sexually abused.
• Try addressing masturbation and nose-picking at the same time. Tell your young child that both behaviors are okay but should only take place in her bedroom or a bathroom.

Resources

• Is Masturbation a Sign that a Young Child has been Sexually Abused?
• Indicators Of Child Sexual Abuse
• Center for Effective Parenting
• Sexual Curiosity in Young Children
• Sexually Abused Children and Frequent Masturbation

[Fuller1972]

on 3/23/2009 Thanks for sharing information on this sensitive topic. **5**