Sexualization is realizing or becoming aware of your sexuality. It is common that men become aware of their sexuality before women do. I think that sexuality should not be a topic of discussion in school, especially at the early childhood stage. When children become aware of their sexuality, this is the start of when young children start to get made fun of.
There is a student in third grade that has a very high pitched voice. He hangs around with girls all the time, in which he is always constantly made fun of by other students. I have heard other students call him "gay" and other stereotypical terms. He is very bothered by this but does not know the meaning of "gay". There have been several students that make fun of him saying that "you like boys". Several students say this just because of his very high pitched voice and his hand gestures.
Another student that has been exposed to sexuality at a young age is a third grade student in my class. There is a girl in my class that has parents that are of the same sexual orientation. When she has been seen with both of her female parents, kids make fun of her and say that she is going to date someone of the same sexual orientation. During school, she only talks to girl. The only girl that she will communicate with, she is always very close and touchy feely with her. That girl is starting to get confused and frustrated with it. It is hard to explain to the student what is going on without making fun of or stereotyping the young girl in my class.
The last example relates to a student that is constantly touching himself. It is hard to say, but a third grade student cannot control his hands. Not only is he constantly touching himself, but he is taking girls hands and putting the other students hands where it is inappropriate. Having to communicate with the parents, it is hard and somewhat embarrassing to explain to the parents what is going on. The student does not think it is a problem what they are doing.
The child's social life will be hard for them when they get older. They will constantly be made fun of and counted out when it comes to activities. They will also tend to have a higher chance of negative behavior in class. After learning a little about sexualization, I did not realize that students at this young of an age will notice their sexualization. It has made me realize the signs that I need to look out for. It also has made me realize that I need to make sure to communicate to parents when I become suspicious.
I enjoyed reading your post Chelsea and I totally agree that a child's social life would become harder for them when they reach that age. Many would be bullied, talked about, and left out of many organizations, activities, and gatherings. Sexualization should be talked about between the child, parent, and teacher in such situations. A boy or girl should not be treated like an object and as educators, we need to be there for them for communication.
ReplyDeleteHi Chelsea,
ReplyDeleteI agree that it would be a difficult topic to bring up to the parents of these children but in order for us to help them have a healthy and safe childhood I feel that we should be very open about these issues. I can remember, as a young girl, my parents explaining to me that my body was my own and that I should not accept anyone touching me. I feel that being taught that I was in control of my own body at a young age helped me develop in a healthy way. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this issue.
I agree that sexuality should not be a topic for children during the early childhood years. I do that certain aspects of their sexuality should be addressed when helping children develop their identity by addressing gender stereotypes. I think at this age they become aware of differences between male and female so at some point some things will come up in conversation between the children. Being proactive and hands on will help us become aware of the questions and concerns children may have about themselves when it applies to their gender.
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