After birth, the process of sex-role socialization begins immediately. There may be small, physiologically-based differences present at birth that lead girls and boys to perceive the world or behave in slightly different ways. There are also well-documented differences in the ways that boys and girls are treated from birth onward. The behavioural differences between the sexes, such as differences in toy and play preference and in the degree of aggressive behaviour, are most likely the product of complex interactions between the way that the child perceives the world and the ways that parents, siblings, and others react to the child. The messages about appropriate behaviour for girls and boys intensify differences between the sexes as the child grows older.
It is not uncommon for children to touch or play with their genitals or to play games, such as “doctor” or “house,” that include sexual exploration. Such experiences are usually not labelled sexual by the children. Adults will often discourage such behaviour and respond negatively to it. Generally by the age of six or seven, children develop a sense of privacy and are aware of social restrictions on sexual expression.
As the first bodily changes of puberty begin, sometime from the age of 8 to the age of 12, the child may become self-conscious and more private. During this period, more children gain experience with masturbation (self-stimulation of genitals). Surveys indicate that about one-third of all girls and about half of all boys have masturbated to orgasm by the time they reach the age of 13, boys generally start earlier than girls. Because preadolescents tend to play with others of their own sex, it is not at all uncommon that early sexual exploration and experience may happen with other members of the same sex.
Puberty
Puberty marks the second stage of physical sexual differentiation—the time when both primary and secondary sexual characteristics as well as adult reproductive capacity develop, and when sexual interest surges. Puberty typically begins in girls from 8 to 12 years of age, whereas boys start about two years later. The hypothalamus initiates pubertal changes by directing pituitary growth hormones and gonadotropins (hormones that control the ovaries and testes).
A girl’s breasts grow, her pubic hair develops, and her body grows and takes on the rounded contours of an adult woman. This is followed by the first menstrual period (menarche) at about age 12 or 13 (although ages of onset range from 10 to 16.5), underarm-hair growth, and increased secretions from oil- and sweat-producing glands. It may take a year or two before menstruation and ovulation occur regularly. The hormones primarily responsible for these changes in young girls are the adrenal androgens, estrogens, progesterone, and growth hormone.
During puberty, a boy’s testes and scrotal sac grow, his pubic hair develops, his body grows and develops, his penis grows, his voice deepens, facial and underarm hair appear, and secretions from his oil- and sweat-producing glands increase. Penile erections increase in frequency, and first ejaculation (thorarche) typically occurs sometime from the age of 11 to the age of 15. For a boy who has not masturbated, a nocturnal emission, or so-called wet dream, may be his first ejaculation. The ability to produce sperm may take another year or two and typically begins at about age 14. Growth hormone and androgens, particularly testosterone, are responsible for these pubertal changes in boys.
The fact that boys tend to develop more slowly than girls can cause some social awkwardness. Girls who have grown earlier may find themselves much taller than their dates, for example, and they may be more physically and psychologically mature than their male peers.
The first menstruation and first ejaculation are often considered the most important events of puberty, particularly for the individual. However, it is the development of the secondary sexual characteristics that serve as more apparent signals to others that the person is becoming a man or a woman. These signals lead to increasingly differential treatment of adolescent girls and boys by parents or other adults. The changes in hormone levels that occur during puberty may cause boys and girls to perceive the world in different ways, leading them to react differently to situations. Thus, puberty augments behavioural sex differences between young men and women. In some cultures and religions, puberty is recognized with rituals that mark the transition into adulthood.
EVALUATION
When does a child become self conscious and more private?
What age range does puberty begin in boys and girls?
What is puberty?
Adolescence
Whereas the term puberty refers to the period of physical maturation, the term adolescence typically refers to the socially defined period during which a person adjusts to the physical, emotional, and social changes associated with the transition from childhood to adulthood. Adolescence, which occurs from about the age of 12 to the age of 17 or older, is a period marked by increased sexual behaviour. By the end of adolescence, two-thirds of young women and almost all young men have masturbated to orgasm. In recent decades, surveys indicate that more adolescents have begun engaging in intercourse at a younger age. However, studies of college students often find that 20 to 30 percent of these students have not had sexual intercourse. Adolescence can be particularly difficult for teens who feel different from their peers. Sexually active adolescents may wonder if their peers are abstinent, while sexually inactive adolescents may believe that their peers are sexually active. Others may struggle with same-sex attractions.
Sexual orientation may become a question during puberty or adolescence. The term sexual orientation refers to a person’s erotic, romantic, or affectional attraction to the other sex, the same sex, or both. A person who is attracted to the other sex is labelled heterosexual, or sometimes straight. A person attracted to the same sex is labelled homosexual. The word gay may be used to describe homosexuals and is most often applied to men, whereas the term lesbian is applied to homosexual women. A person who is attracted to both men and women is labelled bisexual. A transsexual is a person whose sense of self is not consistent with his or her anatomical sex—for example, a person whose sense of self is female but who has male genitals. Homosexuality is not synonymous with trans sexuality. Homosexual men’s sense of self is male and lesbian women’s sense of self is female.
EVALUATION
Define sexual orientation
What is the meaning of the word gay?
GENERAL EVALUATION
Differentiate between female and male in term of puberty.
Differentiate between puberty and growth
Who are homosexuals?
Define sexual orientation
What is the meaning of the word gay?
WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT
1. A person who is attracted to the other sex is labelled
A. heterosexual B. intersexual C.transsexuality D.affectional
2. A —– is a person whose sense of self is not consistent with his or her anatomical sex A. transsexual B. sexual orientation C. bisexual D. transsexuality
3. The term refers to a person’s erotic, romantic, or affectional attraction to the other sex, the same sex, or both. A. sexual orientation B. orientation C. lesbian
4. The term refers to the period of physical maturation. A. puberty B. bisexual C. awkwardness. D. transsexual
5. The term——– typically refers to the socially defined period during which a person adjusts to the physical, emotional, and social changes associated with the transition from childhood to adulthood. A. adolescence B. puberty C. aging D. transsexual
THEORY
Differentiate between female and male in term of puberty.
Differentiate between puberty and growth.
Who are homosexuals?
Read our disclaimer.
AD: Take Free online baptism course: Preachi.com
