How long does it take to lose childhood innocence?
It doesn’t happen in one performance, or in the year of practice for that performance. It is gradual and insidious. Like the verbally precocious 5 year old who becomes a foul mouthed bully; it transforms the child into something he was not. The Pediatric Academic Societies quoted in the earlier Examiner article makes it very clear that it takes YEARS to lose childhood innocence. What happens between 6 and 8 years old indisputably shapes behavior at 12 to 14 years old. Healthy sexuality is built on a foundation of self knowledge and experience tested in innocuous, social settings. Children who are imitating adult behavior before having the experience and maturity to understand their own actions are not prepared for the challenges of adolescent sexuality. Adults must help children build a strong self-identity first and the social/emotional skills to act responsibility and authentically before exposing them to adult-like sexuality. Watch the video again and try to imagine five years from
