ABSTRACT
In discussing sexual development in both children and adolescents, Bukowski et al. (1993, p. 87) ask, “What is healthy sexual development?” In response, they argue that descriptions of the goals of sexual development are unclear and have relied heavily on abstractions. As such, they say that little guidance has been provided with respect to identifying what constitutes healthy or unhealthy sexual development. They continue by saying that specifying the goals of healthy sexual development is a very difficult task because the development consists of factors that are subjective, interpersonal and socially embedded and vary as a function of age, sex and culture. Distinguishing between normative and non-normative sexual behaviours and development among preadolescents and adolescents is like drawing lines in the sand. Definitions shift across individuals, professionals, groups, organizations, communities, social institutions, societies and situations. While there are some cases that most would agree involve crossing the line between normative, non-normative and even criminal sexual behaviours, others are less clear. This is apparent from reflecting on the two cases below, both of which were reported in the media.
