• Developmentally expected and occurs across all areas of major development
  • Most experts do not consider to be problematic
  • Exploratory, spontaneous, intermittent, and by mutual agreement
  • Occurs with other children
    • Particularly known or familiar children (social network), including siblings
    • With child of similar age, size, and developmental level, and children of the same sex/gender
  • Not accompanied by anger, fear, and/or intense anxiety
Three children sitting on a couch playing with a tablet.
A pretend tea party.

Examples of Normal Sexual Behavior

  • “Playing House”
  • Wants to compare genitals with other same aged children, like siblings and peers
  • Masturbating in private
  • Erections
  • “Playing doctor”

Bonner, 1999; Chaffin et al., 2006; Silovsky, 2009, Silovsky & Bonner, 2003; Rutter (1971), Lamb & Coakley (1993), Larsson (2001), Reynolds, Herbenick, & Bancroft (2003)