I agree. In the U.S., the scenario put forth by the OP is very common, but this is not the case in many other cultures, even those relatively “close” to ours, such as some European ones. There does not seem to be any universal aspect of human nature in which sexuality is seen as a taboo childhood exposure while violence is not. In some, it is more or less the other way around, and in others, both or neither is especially frowned upon.
Even within our own culture and its sub-cultures, (U.S.) standards vary widely.
While some might put forth explanations which seem sensible to them or in theory, I am convinced it ultimately comes down to deeply ingrained attitudes regarding sex and/or violence (sex as shameful, “dirty”, sinful, etc..and violence as a pervasive and often glorified part of our “national heritage”, e.g. the cowboy gunslinger, the soldier, the “good guy” using violence to right wrongs and inflict vengenace ala Dirty Harry and the glamourized outlaw seen as fighting the system..Dillinger, Bonnie and Clyde, et al).
Back when I worked with young children, I saw this all the time…parents who had no problem allowing their kids to watch the most violent material but were up in arms over them being exposed to the slightest hint of sexuality. Almost to a one, the parents with this view were conservative, politically and/or religiously. The more “liberal” parents often held the reverse perspective, seeing sex as less of a threat than violence (esp. those whose views placed them firmly in the sub-culture).
The suggestion that children can somehow understand the fantasy nature of fictional violence but NOT fictional sexuality doesn’t really mesh with what we know about (young) children. They usually lack the cognitive maturity to fully grasp that EITHER is fictional and tend to take things they watch at face value, including advertising.
There is certainly a lot of evidence that exposure to fictional violence encourages more violent play and other behavior in children (anecdotally, I used to DESPISE the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Power Rangers, having to spend so much time dealing with the violent play and the frequent escalations into ACTUAL fighting such exposures generated among the boys in my classroom:smack: PLEASE, I would think, let them watch Pee Wee’s Playhouse or something instead! And PLEASE, stop cramming the little GIRLS full of Dinsey princesses :rolleyes:)
But see, every culture inculcates their offspring with the dominant values of the culture, consicously and unconsciously. In ours, boys/men have long been raised to be violent and agressive (soldiers, providers, protectors) and girls/women to be passive sexual objects and victims.
We can come up with all sorts of “sensible” explanations re’ our biases, but most of the time, they are simply biases we hold at such a deep level that we don’t know WHY we do.
But they make perfect “sense” when seen as the generational mechanisms by which we generate adults who fit the roles our culture requires to perpetuate itself. We are one of the most war-like cultures on earth, for example, and we tend to produce males (esp) who are primed for the war which is bound to come along in their generation. We are also one of the most materialistic/consumerist, and we inculcate our young from birth with those values.
In contrast, certain cultures where peaceful cooperation and communal property/living are the most valued traits, there is an entirely different array of parenting beliefs and practices.
There are cultures in which sexuality is very much out in the open and young children are encouraged to emulate it, to play at sex (even to the point of engaging in it with one another). And others in which children are conditioned from birth to violence and cruelty, since stoic, ruthless warriors and women supportive of them are the valued result (and open sexuality is taboo).
I think this cultural diversity and the way it perpetuates itself is about as sensible an explanation as you are likely to get. JMHO.
eta, there is no evidence that exposure to normal, healthy, consensual sexuality, including nudity, is in any way damaging to children, esp. in the context of a culture which sees it as no big deal. Some evidence that exposure to violence, even fictional, can be, even in a culture which sees nothing wrong with it.
