this post was submitted on 28 Feb 2025
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Yes and no.
Exposing kids to sex too early isn't good for their development. That doesn't mean you can't start sex ed very early, it just means that what you teach is important.
For example, the first thing kids should be taught is the proper name of all their body parts. Call a penis a penis or a vagina a vagina. It's also important to teach things like "Let mom and dad know if someone wants to see your penis/vagina". It's also important to start the concept of consent early "You don't have to give a hug or let someone touch you if you don't want to" and extended to "Ask first before giving a hug, it's ok if someone doesn't want a hug."
As kids get older, you should absolutely be having frank conversations about what sex is. You should further have frank conversations about adults soliciting sex from kids "Jerry Seinfeld was a huge creep that raped a high school teen. That wasn't ok".
Can you elaborate on negative aspects of early sex ed? You only provided the positive examples, and I'm curious now
Oh I think you've added an "ed" where I didn't (and didn't intend to). Early sex ed is a positive. Early exposure to sex is not. Sex ed isn't just about sex and there are aspects of it that can (and should) be taught quite young (like I outline above).
IE, you shouldn't be educating your 5 year old on the finer details of what a blowjob is. You should be working with them on the proper names of their genitals and the difference between good touch and bad touch. Both of those are sex ed that should eventually be taught to everyone before they become adults. However, age matters.
As to the negative consequences of exposure to sex acts. I'll point you to a page talking about child sexual abuse. Exposure is sexual abuse (and often a precursor to rape).
https://www.iicsa.org.uk/reports-recommendations/publications/inquiry/interim/nature-effects-child-sexual-abuse/effects-child-sexual-abuse.html
What do you mean by exposure?
Showing a child porn or having sex while they are around. Those have the most definite negative effects. Stuff that borders that is trickier but, IMO, best avoided.
Does walking in accidentally count, or is there a minimum time limit?
I ask because some people act like a child accidentally walking in on their parents once ruins them for life.
I'm less sure on if anyone has studied that (for obvious reasons). It would be more of "We are having sex and don't care if the child can see" sort of thing. The normalizing and exposure of sexual acts with kids is what's known as "grooming" and it's what child sexual predators use to coerce kids.
Do you think drag queen storytime counts as porn that children shouldn't be exposed to?
No.
A trans woman wearing a dress is not porn.
Okay, because "we shouldn't give children access to porn" is the exact argument they use against LGBT folks.
I know, that's not lost on me. And you are right to ask the question.