Sexual self-efficacy is incredibly important for sexual health. So, how do we build sexual self-efficacy? Let’s think about some specific things that caring adults can do to help children build sexual self-efficacy in different age groups.
Toddlers & Preschoolers
At a young age you want to begin talking with children about their own rights to say what happens with their bodies. One great activity that I suggest for young children is the “It’s just a hug” activity.
Ask the child in your life:
The idea is to get the child thinking about consent, what it means to say yes to physical affection, and what it means to say no. You want to give the child the chance to think about how to respond when someone wants to give them affection that they don’t want, and also how to ask others for consent for physical affection. Teaching children what it means to consent to physical affection, how to say yes, how to say no, and how to ask for consent, all of these are vitally important messages for all children. This is a first step in building strong sexual self-efficacy.