NCJ Number
120353
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 13 Issue: 4 Dated: (1989) Pages: 523-531
Date Published
1989
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study characterizes the terms nonabused children use to label sexual body parts of anatomic dolls.
Abstract
Sexually abused children are often said to use idiosyncratic terminology when referring to sexual body parts. Anatomic dolls are often used in sexual abuse investigations, especially of younger children, with both their behavioral and verbal responses used to draw conclusions about the likelihood of sexual abuse. However, there is little information available about the responses of nonabused children to these dolls. The study involved 144 children ages 3 through 8 years who were asked for their names for specific body parts including anus, breast, buttock, penis, scrotum, and vagina. Responses for breast, buttock, and penis were more precise than for other body parts. More than half the respondents did not have labels for anus and scrotum. The "age" and "gender" of the dolls had little effect on the children's responses. Older children had more accurate terminology than younger children for sexually related body parts except for penis and anus. 7 tables and references. (Author abstract modified)