Below are some common examples of normative sexual development and behavior. If you have questions about your student’s sexual development and behavior, speak with another professional for more information and resources.
Birth to 6 years
- Males can have erections beginning at birth.
- Newborn females may have a period-like vaginal discharge in the days following birth.
- Explores and touches own genitals in public and private.
- May enjoy being nude in public or private, lack of modesty.
- Talks about body parts and bodily functions (bathroom talk).
- Shows private parts to familiar people.
- Stands very close to others, lack of personal space awareness.
- Participates in pretend play involving touch (doctor, caring for baby).
- Curious when family members are undressing, bathing, or toileting.
- Touches adult breasts (especially mother’s).
5 to 8 years
- Occasionally explores and touches own private parts when alone.
- Develops modesty and understanding of private topics and activities.
- Developing awareness of privacy about bodies.
- Discusses private parts and bodily functions with children of similar age.
- Playfully exposes or touches others’ private parts, may ask others to do the same (you show me yours, I’ll show you mine).
- Kisses/hugs familiar adults and children.
- Stands very close to others, lack of personal space awareness.
- Participates in pretend play involving touch (doctor, caring for baby).
- Curious about birth, life cycles, where babies come from.
- Curious about bodies and nudity.
- Imitates flirtatious or romantic behavior.
- Uses foul language, tells inappropriate jokes, or uses sexually explicit gestures.
6 to 12 years
- Masturbates in private.
- Wants privacy.
- Females may begin menstruation (average onset in U.S. is 12 years).
- May begin to develop secondary sex characteristics (pubic hair, enlarged breasts, facial hair, etc.).
- Shows a growing knowledge of physical changes, reproduction, sexuality.
- Plays games that may be of a sexual nature (truth or dare).
- Finds humor in exposing private parts, may ask others to do the same (flashing or mooning).
- Stands very close to others, lack of personal space awareness.
- Uses foul language, tells inappropriate jokes, or uses sexually explicit gestures.
- Experiences exposure to and interest in sexually explicit language and media.
- Begins to develop sexual attraction to peers.
12 to 15 years
- Show a general interest in sexual topics.
- Reads information about sex and views images with sexual content.
- Attempts to satisfy their curiosity by "peeping"—secretly observing people when they are naked, such as when they are bathing or changing clothes.
- Boys will experience frequent erections.
- Girls may find they produce vaginal secretions for no apparent reason
- Experiments with sexual arousal through masturbation.
- Both boys and girls may start to experiment with sexual arousal through flirting, hugging, and playfully hitting or tickling other youth they are romantically interested in. They may also start kissing or "making out" with other teens.
- Experiments with vocalizing their sexual thoughts when they are with other teens—telling sexual jokes, hinting at their own sexuality.
- Is concerned with other people's opinions and judgments of them.
- Both boys and girls will become more modest about their own nudity, even around people of the same gender.
15 to 18 years
- Interested in developing romantic relationships with partners.
- Girls tend to be more concerned about the biological consequences of sexual activity, so they may begin to research topics such as reproduction, pregnancy, and contraceptives, and they may ask more questions about these topics.
- Both boys and girls fantasize about sexual acts and wonder about what their limitations should be.
- May experiment with foreplay behaviors such as erotic stimulation, touch, and massage, and may also experiment with different types of sexual intercourse, such as oral and anal sex or mutual masturbation.
- Sexual activity increases and intensifies for both boys and girls, whether by masturbation or in partnered sexual activity.
- May engage in sexual activity more frequently or their participation may become more intense and varied as their sexual experience increases.
- Those whose sexual development proceeded more slowly than their peers may begin to experiment with their sexuality.
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Focused Topics
Sexual Development & Behavior in K-12 Students
Lesson 2
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Normative Childhood Sexual Development & Behavior
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