ABSTRACT
This chapter explores normal sexual development and behaviour in children and distinguishes these from sexualized behaviours that are more likely to arise in circumstances of sexual abuse, other forms of abuse, or in the presence of ecological factors. The factors include domestic violence, poverty, or incapacity in parents due to mental illness or substance abuse. Sexual development encompasses the physical, physiological, and hormonal changes that occur over time, gender identity, and sexual response. Sexual behaviours in children are not uncommon and may be observed in between 42 and 73 percent of children younger than 13 years of age. Adolescence is defined as a transitional phase of growth between childhood and adulthood. Chronologically, adolescence occurs between the ages of 10 and 19 years, and "youth" between 15 and 24 years. Sexualized behaviours are defined as sexual behaviours that are persistently intrusive, coercive, developmentally abnormal, or abusive. Sexual abuse is a common, but not exclusive experience among children with sexual behaviour problems.
