A sexual behaviour expert who wants to teach masturbation to primary school kids has left viewers of This Morning outraged.
Kate Dawson appeared on Friday (January 18) morning’s show with Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford to talk about how younger children should learn about their bodies.
Although Kate stressed she doesn’t usually work with kids younger than 11, she did say it was important to help primary school aged children understand about their bodies.
“I do work in primary schools,” she explained.
“I think it’s really important that we start talking about how it’s normal to explore your own body in a private space, if that’s something that you want to do, and that it can feel nice.”
Kate also said her beliefs came as a result of the reaction she gets, especially from girls, who are “absolutely disgusted by their genitalia”.
She said: “We’re meeting a lot of young girls in particular who are absolutely disgusted by their genitalia.
“We do this activity where we show a very realistic illustration of the vulva and of the penis and we take the penis out and there’s a big laugh, everybody thinks it’s really funny, but when we take the vulva out you sometimes hear ‘oh my god, that’s disgusting’.”
Kate revealed there is a lot of pressure on people for their “genitals to look a certain way” and Ruth asked if pornography was to blame for that.
“The only place we get to see other people’s genitals is porn and the people who are in porn are hired because of the types of body they have,” Kate agreed.
Read more: Eamonn Holmes left vulnerable after being conned out of £60k
She went on to discuss the importance of teaching young girls to communicate about what they do and don’t like so they don’t get hurt by their partner.
Eamonn and Ruth were seemingly coming round to the idea of teaching children so young, with Eamonn admitting: “I have to admit when I read this I was a bit taken aback, but I now actually think I’m glad you’re there.”
Viewers at home were not persuaded though. Venting their fury at the suggestion on Twitter, they begged that children should be kept as children for as long as possible.
For goodness sake keep children as children they grow up far too quickly now & 8 is far too young to be taught about sex & masturbation at school #ThisMorning
— Arlene Woollard (@Arlene_HWycombe) January 18, 2019
#ThisMorning my son is 7 years old. If he got taught about masturbation I would be absolutely disgusted! I want to keep him as innocent as I can!
— Lauren Ann Wing (@callumlauren12) January 18, 2019
https://twitter.com/Missy_Nat99/status/1086212897871663104
https://twitter.com/Kellylouise_123/status/1086212857128202241
Why on earth would you talk to 8 year olds about masturbation?? I wouldn't dream of talking to my kids about that when they were 8. Why can't kids just be kids anymore…what a sad world we live in now. #ThisMorning
— Carolann (@Carolannbt1971) January 18, 2019
If my 8 year old came home and told me she was taught about masturbation, someone would be getting assaulted. #thismorning
— Jode (@JudeHeyWhyte) January 18, 2019
#ThisMorning
Teaching 8 year olds about masturbation??What is it with sexualising children?
Let kids be kids!
— 1994.exe (@TroofWarrior) January 18, 2019
There were two voices who agreed with Kate though:
WE NEED TO TEACH OUR KIDS THAT MASTURBATION IS NORMAL AND ITS OK!!!! IF YOU DONT TOUCH YOURSELF YOU WONT GET TO KNOW YOUR VAGINA!!! #ThisMorning
— jessielou⭐️ (@sadgloomgirl) January 18, 2019
https://twitter.com/whataclaire/status/1086213352727216129
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