Perception of Sexual Experience in Childhood: Relating Normal Development to Incest

Perception of Sexual Experience in Childhood: Relating Normal Development to Incest

Research findings into children’s developing perceptions of sexuality are presented. These are based on interviews with nearly 1,000 children in Australia, England, North America and Sweden aged 5 to 15 years. The findings most relevant to the experience of incest in childhood are extrapolated and applied speculatively to father-daughter incest at prepubertal, transpubertal and postpubertal stages. It is concluded that incest impedes, distorts or displaces normal sexual development; and that more research is badly needed.