When a child is asked about possible abuse, a case can depend on whether they have the words for what happened. Courts often need clear descriptions of the body parts and contact involved, yet young children frequently struggle to give them. A new study from Taiwan looked at what children aged 5–10 know about their intimate body parts, and where that knowledge comes from.
Researchers at National Taiwan University and the University of Oxford gathered written and spoken reports from 409 families recruited through public kindergartens and primary schools across Taiwan. The findings appear in The Open Psychology Journal. In total, 378 parents and 381 children took part, and 48% of the children were girls.
The children fell into three groups: 161 aged 5–6, 131 aged 7–8, and 117 aged 9–10. Mothers filled in 82% of the parent questionnaires, and children answered their own version over the telephone with a research assistant, using body diagrams.
The study covered five intimate body parts: the front and back genitals of boys and girls, and the female breast. The new Mandarin questionnaire asked children to name each part and say what it is for, how often they kiss and hug their parents, and whether they had been taught to protect themselves from inappropriate touching.
Most children could name at least one intimate body part. Children knew the names for their own sex better: 92% of boys named the male genitals compared with 80% of girls, while 85% of girls named the female genitals compared with 58% of boys. Very few knew anything about reproduction.
Age made less difference than expected. Older children were generally no better than younger ones at naming body parts or explaining their functions. Children who shared more kisses and hugs with their parents knew more about the intimate body parts of both sexes, though the link was small.
Mothers did most of the teaching, reaching 78% of children, and most lessons happened at bath time or during water play. Gaps were common. In one in five families, parents and children disagreed about whether the child had been taught the names at all.
Self-protection was the weakest area. About 35% of parents said they had told their child not to let others touch their body, and 14% had said to tell an adult. Yet only 7% of children recalled being told not to let others touch them, and none mentioned telling an adult.
The study has clear limits. It relied on self-reports, so some children may not have recalled accurately who taught them or what contact they had. It is also unclear whether the results apply to children who have been abused, who may have learned terms from the person who harmed them.
The researchers describe it as one of the first studies in East Asia to look at how children describe intimate body parts and contact. Talking about sex is often seen as taboo in many cultures, which may leave children less willing to disclose abuse and short of the words to describe it. The researchers call for clearer conversations at home and structured body safety lessons in schools.
Most Taiwanese children aged 5–10 could name intimate body parts, but few knew how to protect themselves from unwanted touch.
