The Fear of Child Sexuality, by Steven Angelides, demonstrates that children are sexual beings and writes about an environment where children should be protected but also allowed to express their sexuality. The author discusses sex panics in Anglo-Saxon societies, in which a Victorian view on sexuality has been inherited through each generation. The idea that sexual urges should be repressed, and children should be shielded from such “adult” pursuits lead to specific sex panics outlined in the book. Sex panics refer to how a society responds to events or movements regarding sex. Angelides offers an objective perspective that identifies various historical events and policies related to child sexuality considered a sex panic. More importantly, he provides support for both right and left sides, dealing with the sexual agencies of children. The book leads the reader in chronological order through significant changes in policy regarding the sexual identity of children from the 1960s to the present. These topics include the introduction of sex education, premarital sex, the gay community versus the pedophile community, adult-child relationships, and sexting. The author particularly identifies gender and describes the power struggle within many sexual relationships. Angelides also considers the role the feminist movement had on sex education looking at some of the topics through feminist theory.

The author does a great job bringing together different historical examples, such as an Australian sexual abuse case in 2005. This case was introduced by Angelides to support more evidence that not all male teachers abuse students. Although research supports a similar pattern between male teachers and female students the case of Natalina D’Addario, a female high school teacher who performed sexual favors on a sixteen-year-old male student suggests not all cases are as concrete. Furthermore, the author goes further to advocate for legislation regarding the level of autonomy and responsibility on behalf of the student. Even though there is no excuse for such a power differential within the adult child relationships the author makes clear not every case is the same and other factors play a role, such as age, psychological evaluation of the teacher, and sexual agency of the student. 

The author expresses his concern for a lack of consideration for sexual agency of adolescents and children throughout the book. He argues that children go through their own sexual experiences unlike what adults go through. Angelides’ awareness of child sexuality and depth of research has made this book very interesting to read. It also becomes a very informative resource for those who have or work with children. As an honorary senior research fellow at Macquarie University, Angelides does a wonderful job pulling together different international examples related to each topic in his chapters. The book expands on child sexuality and forces the reader to go out of their comfort zone to think of the disheartening issues discussed. Overall, Angelides did a wonderful job and I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to learn more about how our society views child sexuality and our response to it. 

Brian Morreale is a graduate student in the Data Analytics in Social Sciences program at the University at Buffalo. He is currently working in a Social-Personality Psychology lab researching various topics related to Metacognition.

Categories: Sexuality

Keywords: children, sexuality