Preschoolers' Knowledge of and Ability to Learn Genital Terminology

Abstract

Head Start preschoolers (N = 271) were asked for the names of nongenital and genital body parts. Although almost all children knew the correct terminology for nongenital body parts, few knew the anatomically correct terms for genitals. When a subset of these children were taught the terms by their parents, children learned the correct terminology for female and male genitals. In contrast, children taught by their teachers only improved in their labeling of penis. The advantages of teaching young children correct genital terminology are discussed, along with the importance of parental involvement in sexual abuse prevention efforts.