I'm not sure we're even disagreeing. I honestly did not/do not understand the reference you cited. My point was NOT that the 5 year old should not be protected. Nor was my point that it is "okay" for a 12 year old to "hump" a 5 year old. What I was trying to convey is that we have no naturalistic observations of childhood sexual behavior (that I am aware of). I don't think we can get far with the concepts of "normal" and "abnormal" sexual behavior when it comes to children because no one has been able to measure it. Ethical concerns are paramount to that kind of research, and I'm sure few people would, for example, put two children in a room with a two way mirror and observe their sexual play. In any case, our assertions of what is "normal" often say more about us than they do about the phenomenon being observed. What percentage of 12 year olds have "humped" 5 year olds? We don't know. How many 5 year olds have been traumatized by it? How many have NOT been traumatized by it? What's the difference between the two groups? Actual data is almost non-existent. The other issue I was concerned about was the family dynamics. From a systems point of view, the brief vignette posted has lots of "red flags" indicating systems issues. These systemic concerns should be assessed carefully prior to labeling this 12 year old as a sex offender/perpetrator.
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