Why we need to teach our kids 'Vagina,' 'Penis,' and 'Vulva'

Sex-abuse prevention educators want children to understand the correct terms for their “private parts”.

As part of abuse prevention in schools and other organisations, educators believe that teaching “standard” dialect for body parts is important, The Atlantic reports.

Teaching children anatomically correct terms, age-appropriately, promotes positive body image, self confidence, and parent-child communication; discourages perpetrators; and, in the event of abuse, helps children and adults navigate the disclosure and forensic interview process, says Laura Palumbo, a prevention specialist with the National Sexual Violence Resource Centre(NSVRC).

Teaching and using plain and accurate language to describe the human body can help children live healthier/safer lives.

“We need all adults to be partners in teaching healthy childhood sexual development,” says NSVRC’s Palumbo, and “square one is body parts.”

“This helps children who have important health questions or an experience they’re concerned about talk with adults about their concerns,” whether the child is seven or seventeen.

Steve Biddulph, psychologist and parent educator, says – “Having the right words – simple, adult words, means you can talk openly about things that sometime need to be talked about.”

Do you agree?

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18 Comments

- - mom94125 said
  - 02 Sep 2016
    4:05 pm
at the right age, we will but we just use nicknames for now

- - hopefullyheidi said
  - 30 Jun 2016
    12:34 am
An extremely important article. I’ve taught my son the correct words from day dot.

- - mom111362 said
  - 29 Jun 2016
    12:11 am
at the right age, yes its important

- - mom71820 said
  - 04 Jun 2016
    3:26 pm
Yes I agree. My 4yr old knows the correct names. It’s helps us talk openly about it already as she has questions.

- - mom156049 said
  - 01 Jun 2016
    11:18 am
They do also need age appropriate words that are ok for public use – you don’t want them yelling out in the wrong setting

- - june11 said
  - 27 May 2016
    7:09 pm
Not only is it important for children to know the correct terms when they are old enough it is good if they learn how their OWN work.
In the unfortunate case of abuse the child might not be so embarrassed knowing whether to use a “nickname” or the proper names.
It is also easier to explain if they develop a medical problem they have to explain too

- - snookers2230 said
  - 18 May 2016
    10:48 am
Yes I totally agree. I have always taught my children the correct terminology. It always annoys me when my inlays then come behind my back and tell my kids no, its not ‘penis’ its a ‘winky pop’ , not a ‘vagina’ its a ‘mini haha’.

- - mum4107 said
  - 13 May 2016
    5:50 am
Yes I agree. It’s very important for body safety

- - mom175029 said
  - 12 May 2016
    7:14 pm
As long as you’re using a generally recognized term I think its fine.

- - Mummytoabeautifulprincess said
  - 05 May 2016
    9:38 pm
I agree, they should be taught correct terminology.

- - meedee said
  - 05 May 2016
    2:14 pm
Im really not sure what the big deal is. Yes children should know the real words for their body parts but at the same time they are taught there is a time and place for certain things to be discussed. In the middle of the supermarket is not the place to talk about your Penis, etc. Kids are not stupid and they know and can learn and understand these concepts easily.

- - Lizbef said
  - 05 May 2016
    10:50 am
I agree that kids should be taught the proper words and take the embarrassment out of it.

- - mom81879 said
  - 05 May 2016
    9:31 am
I always used correct terminology for body parts. Nothing wrong with knowing the proper names for things, much better then some of the slang terms they would learn at school

- - BellaB said
  - 04 May 2016
    3:53 pm
We’ve always used correct words for body parts.

- - mom160421 said
  - 04 May 2016
    2:38 pm
I don’t see a problem with learning the correct terminology.

- - mom90758 said
  - 04 May 2016
    1:44 pm
I agree, absolutely. When my daughter was in Year 3, there was a special evening program at school where kids and parents attended. I think this was the company that came to talk. http://www.interrelate.org.au/ And I remember how much emphasis they put in using the right words.

- - sharna_booth_weinrowski said
  - 04 May 2016
    1:00 pm
I have ensured that our daughter knows the correct names.
While it freaks out my mum it is technically correct!

- - Lori-Anne said
  - 04 May 2016
    10:01 am
I think we should teach our children the correct terms for their body parts.