Understanding Children’s Sexual Signals and Behavior

Abstract

Increasingly children come to professional attention because they use ‘sexually harmful behaviour’. Such children are treated as dangerous to others rather than as neglected or abandoned children who use sexualized behavior to fast-track connection to protective adults. We present case examples, arranged developmentally from infancy to puberty. All had standardized video-recorded assessments of attachment that reliable and blinded coders coded. In addition, we have information about the parents’ history that helps to explain their behavior. We also review neurology to understand how smell and touch affect sexualized behavior. We conclude that children’s sexualized behavior is not usually motivated by sexual desire. Instead, it appears to serve attachment functions for children whose needs for adult protection and comfort have not been met - by their parents or by the professionals who placed them in care. We close with recommendations for research and for professional practice.