Can a 4 year old molest another 4 year old?

[turk179]

Thats right! Turk has come out of RF retirement to ask this burning question. Let me set up the scenario for you.

So I am sitting here, watching E.R. when there is a break in the show to promote the 10 P.M. news. This is what I heard. "A 4 year old molests another 4 year old at a day care center." and "this is a bigger problem than was once thought."

So I am sitting there wondering if something with no feelings or knowledge of sexuality can molest something else with no feelings or knowledge of sexuality.

The nature of what they called "abuse" was described in detail but basically it all comes down to the fondling of a little girls private parts by a little boy.

So what do you all think?

 

[Djamila]

Send the boy to jail for 10 years. Seems to be the going sentence.

 

[Booko]

The nature of what they called "abuse" was described in detail but basically it all comes down to the fondling of a little girls private parts by a little boy.

So what do you all think?

We used to call that "playing doctor" and it was seen for what it is -- a natural curiousity about the body differences between boys and girls. And parents explained that it was inappropriate to do that sort of thing and that was the end of it. Honestly!

This reminds me of the celebrated case of the six year old boy accused of "sexual harassment" because he kissed a classmate. When I was a kid, that would've been called "cute."

 

[Booko]

Send the boy to jail for 10 years. Seems to be the going sentence.

*sigh* Yeah, and try him as an adult while we're at it. I mean, we try 9 year olds as adults, so why not?




:thud:

 

[Mike182]

i don't want to say "the kid must have learnt it from somewhere", but, i'm sure that's not normal 4 yr. old behaviour...

i don't know if i'd use the word abuse, because other than teaching the kid that such things are wrong to do, i don't think the kid is responsible.

and welcome back turk! how is Draka doing?

 

[xexon]

No. To molest is defined by intent.

4 year olds have no intent other than curiosity. They just want to learn about what they see around them. They haven't attached a moral value to things yet.


x

 

[Guitar's Cry]

We used to call that "playing doctor" and it was seen for what it is -- a natural curiousity about the body differences between boys and girls.

I agree.

A four-year-old's morality is barely beginning to develop. Actions are not based on "right" or "wrong," but on growth - which includes curiosity. It should be seen as a learning moment, not a "bigger problem than we thought."

 

[lilithu]

Me thinks that 4 year olds DO naturally do these kinds of things out of curiosity. They're trying to figure out what makes a boy a boy and a girl a girl (physically anyway). And it is in no way driven by sexual desire.

Me also thinks that labeling this incident "molestation" and making a big deal about it is going to cause the little girl far more trauma than the physical touching itself.

Jeeze louise, the things that we do to our kids in the name of protecting them. :areyoucra

 

[Djamila]

I can't stop thinking about that scene from Eurotrip.

"Our early, American pioneers were all prudes, man. They were puritans. They only came here to get away from all that crazy, European sex. I want crazy, European sex!"

I want to phone everyone who thinks this is child mollestation and call them prudes.

 

[turk179]

i don't want to say "the kid must have learnt it from somewhere", but, i'm sure that's not normal 4 yr. old behaviour...

i don't know if i'd use the word abuse, because other than teaching the kid that such things are wrong to do, i don't think the kid is responsible.

and welcome back turk! how is Draka doing?

Like Booko said, back when I was a small child, they called it playing Dr. I don't think there is anything inherently perverted about it. I think there is a natural curiosity with what lies underneath the clothes of other children.

Thanks for the welcome back. I don't know if I will be posting regularly or not but thought I would throw this thought toward the only people who's opinion I happen to respect. Draka is doing very well. Thanks for asking my friend.

 

[turk179]

Me thinks that 4 year olds DO naturally do these kinds of things out of curiosity. They're trying to figure out what makes a boy a boy and a girl a girl (physically anyway). And it is in no way driven by sexual desire.

Me also thinks that labeling this incident "molestation" and making a big deal about it is going to cause the little girl far more trauma than the physical touching itself.

Jeeze louise, the things that we do to our kids in the name of protecting them. :areyoucra

I think this is what angered me the most about this "huge" investigation the news channel is now doing. I agree completely with you.

 

[evearael]

I think this is what angered me the most about this "huge" investigation the news channel is now doing. I agree completely with you.

...which means this little girl will be hearing about it for the rest of her life. It sounds like he was just playing doctor, with no ill intent and no history of being abused himself...

Hi Turk! Great big hugs for you and your family!

 

[Bishka]

It's hardly molestation. Children this age are curious, and it's not a bad thing, but we shouldn't let them take it 'too far'.

The are a couple of scenerios that I can think of:

1) Playtime is when children act out and sort out their reality and try to make sense of what is going on. Perhaps this little boy saw something on TV or at home or somewhere else and it didn't quite make sense, so he uses 'play' to sort it out. It's a very common way to wade ones way through reality as a child.

2) Something is going on in the househould and the parents aren't owning up to it.

Personally, I swing with number one. The little boy probably saw something on TV and it didn't make much sense, so he, himself is trying to make it make sense.

Wow...hope that made some sense!

 

[lilithu]

...which means this little girl will be hearing about it for the rest of her life. It sounds like he was just playing doctor, with no ill intent and no history of being abused himself...

Yes, both kids will probably be traumatized for life. The poor little boy, having his natural curiosity about the human body held up in front of everyone as shameful, immoral and illegal. ugh.

 

[Sunstone]

The nature of what they called "abuse" was described in detail but basically it all comes down to the fondling of a little girls private parts by a little boy.

So what do you all think?

Only prison is good enough for that hardened pedophile.

 

[love]

I have 3 grandsons. 4yrs, 2yrs., and 5 days. Their curiosity has no bounds. They hear, they see, they ask. If only I had 1/1000th of their innocence.

 

[kiwimac]

What a crock of fertiliser. My God, is this what passes for sexual awareness in the US these days?

 

[xexon]

At least its not as bad as our political awareness is.


x

 

[Comprehend]

Thats right! Turk has come out of RF retirement to ask this burning question. Let me set up the scenario for you.

So I am sitting here, watching E.R. when there is a break in the show to promote the 10 P.M. news. This is what I heard. "A 4 year old molests another 4 year old at a day care center." and "this is a bigger problem than was once thought."

So I am sitting there wondering if something with no feelings or knowledge of sexuality can molest something else with no feelings or knowledge of sexuality.

The nature of what they called "abuse" was described in detail but basically it all comes down to the fondling of a little girls private parts by a little boy.

So what do you all think?

I think it is just as possible that abuse occured as not from the information provided. We would have to know the details that were left out to even begin to make an assessment. I am surprised that everyone is so quick to dismiss this as childs play without knowing the details. What if the little girl was crying/upset? what exactly was being done to her private parts? Was she a willing participant or not? It would be nice to know some of these things before making a judgment.

 

[turk179]

I think it is just as possible that abuse occured as not from the information provided. We would have to know the details that were left out to even begin to make an assessment. I am surprised that everyone is so quick to dismiss this as childs play without knowing the details. What if the little girl was crying/upset? what exactly was being done to her private parts? Was she a willing participant or not? It would be nice to know some of these things before making a judgment.

So you are saying that you believe it is possible for a 4 year old with no comprehension of sexuality to be able to molest another, because this is the question I put forth to you all. The details that I put forth were pretty much the same as the news channel put forth. The only real difference was the lack of drama that I kept from my description.