Right Age for Child Sex Ed? HIMPSI Says 3-4 Years with Simple Lessons
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- HIMPSI recommends sex education from age 3-4, focusing on body parts, boundaries, and safety, advancing to puberty and consent by age 10 for better child protection.
- Psychologist Devi Yanti from HIMPSI outlines age-tailored sex ed: names of private parts at 3-5, risks and helpers at 6-9, and emotional changes plus digital safety at 10+.
- Starting early with simple lessons on touches and “no” rights helps kids build healthy boundaries, per HIMPSI’s guidelines shared in Jakarta.
The Indonesian Psychological Association (HIMPSI) states that children aged 3 to 4 years are at the right stage to begin receiving sex education.
“Sex education can start from an early age, around 3-4 years old, of course using very simple language suited to the child’s developmental stage,” said Devi Yanti, M.Psi., a psychologist and treasurer of HIMPSI’s Aceh chapter, in Jakarta on Monday.
Devi explained that at this age, children’s focus isn’t on sexual relations but rather on body awareness, personal boundaries, and feeling safe. Here, sex education serves as instruction on the body, healthy relationships, and self-protection from violence.
The material can be tailored to the child’s age. For instance, children aged 3 to 5 can start learning the correct names for body parts.
Parents should include private areas as one of the body parts named properly. In this case, emphasize that private body parts like genitals and breasts should not be seen or touched by others without a medical reason and parental supervision.
She added that it’s best to teach children about the difference between good touches, confusing ones, and uncomfortable ones so they can understand them clearly.
“Don’t forget to teach children their right to say no and report to a trusted adult,” said the clinical psychologist at Aceh’s Mental Hospital.
Sex education can continue into ages 6 to 9. At this stage, children can gain a clearer understanding of body boundaries and privacy.
Teach children to remember or note down which adults they can turn to for help if they experience harassment or sexual violence cases.
Children should also understand the risks of interacting with both strangers and familiar people.
Parents are encouraged to introduce basic material on body changes leading up to puberty.
For pre-teens around age 10 and up, Devi stressed the importance of helping children grasp the physical changes they’ll face and the emotional side of entering puberty.
“On this note, children also need to learn about healthy relationships, respect, consent, as well as risks of sexual violence, bullying, and digital safety,” she added.
Indonesianpost.com | Antara
