commentators who have stressed the possible benefits to children of exposure to nudity

in the dwelling, in places such as later sexual performance, and ability for affection and

Closeness (cf. Finch, 1982; Goodson, 1991; Martinson, 1977; Mead, mentioned in Goodson,

1991). Although some of these writers (cf. Ellis, cited in Goodson, 1991) make reference

to the cross-cultural ubiquity of youth exposure to parental nudity - although

objecting to alarmist positions taken by Western commentators who don't supply

Supporting data - the cross cultural record is not typically explicit on the question of

actual exposure of children to parental nudity. It does, however, present a powerful claim for

Caudill and Plath, 1966; Gardner, 1975; Lozoff et al., 1998; Morelli et al., 1992;

Stephens, 1972; Whiting, 1964; Whiting and Edwards, 1988). It may tentatively be

inferred that under such conditions large numbers of the world's inhabitants of children

are exposed to parental nudity. Lastly, a third group of writers stress the significance of

the context in which childhood exposure to nudity happens, insisting that results are

mediated by such contextual variables as sex, age of child, family climate, ethnic

Exposure to Scenes of Parental Sexuality (Primal Scenes)

Freud and his followers chose the term "primal scenes" to refer to visual or auditory

exposure of children to parental sex, and following dream elaborations on the

event (Dahl, 1982). Despite the identification of such exposure by psychoanalysts and

others as uniquely dangerous to the mental health of kids, there are, once again, short

We could find only one

prevalence study (Rosenfeld et al., 1980) and two studies of initial result and

subsequent adult performance (Hoyt, 1978, 1979). Of http://wolftoothranch.com/__media__/js/netsoltrademark.php?d=hotnudist.xyz/category/uncategorized/page/3/ , amounts of case studies

exist, including a very abundant psychoanalytic literature describing putative consequences of

exposure to primal scenes. These writers have described the traumatagenic issues by

referring to "a) the erotically charged character of the exposure, resulting in undischarged

libidinal energy and concomitant stress; b) the sadomasochistic content of fantasy

misinterpretation of the occasion; and c) the exacerbation of oedipal want and resultant

castration anxiety or other anxieties of retaliation" (Okami, 1995, p. 56).

Again, however, the few attempts to validate these ideas empirically do not support

predictions of harm.

psychological damage has been exaggerated. click arrived at their

Ending by two routes: First, exposure to primal scenes appeared to be rather

Common, with the most conservative estimates as high as 41%.

suggested that given this frequency of event, variables aside from the primal scene qua

primal scene must be responsible for trauma when it occurs. Second, parents reported

Mostly neutral and noncomprehending reactions from their little children [Mathematical

Expression Omitted]. On the other hand, some children seemed to react with

amusement, giggling, and clear comprehension. Hence, the rather dark portrait appearing

from psychoanalytic literature was mostly absent from these parent reports.

Hoyt (1978, 1979) queried college students about their youth exposure to scenes of

parental sexuality. He found that although these students reported that their exposure had

resulted in mostly negative psychological responses at the time, the exposed group didn't

differ from the nonexposed group on self-report ratings of "present well-being" or

frequency of and satisfaction with present sexual relations. Additionally, these subjects

recalled exposure chiefly at prepubescent and pubertal ages. Given that the mean ages

4 and 6, it is conceivable that subjects in Hoyt's investigations weren't reporting their

first actual exposure to scenes of parental sexuality. Therefore, findings of exposure at

peripubertal ages are of limited value in assessing outcome of exposure to primal scenes

Typically, because with a few exceptions, primal scenes are defined in the

literature as events of early childhood. That is, responses for example "castration anxiety" and

"Oedipal desires" are said to be of most essential significance in the lives of quite young

children.

The Current Study

Despite the lack of empirical support, psychoanalytic and family systems theorists

continue to stress the potential for harm in exposure to parental nudity and primal scenes.

Therefore, longitudinal outcome data are important in starting to solve this issue.