Periodicals > Archives of Sexual Behavior > Volume 27, Issue 4

Name: Early Childhood Exposure to Parental Nudity and Scenes of Parental Sexuality ("Primal Scenes"): An 18-Year Longitudinal Study of Outcome
Authors: Abramson, Paul R.
Okami, Paul
Olmstead, Richard
Pendleton, Laura
Indexed Date: 20 Sep. 2023
Web Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/13604229_Early_Childhood_Exposure_to_Parental_Nudity_and_Scenes_of_Parental_Sexuality_Primal_Scenes_An_18-Year_Longitudinal_Study_of_Outcome
Index Status: Complete
Original Language: English
Genre: Non-Fiction
Citation: Abramson, Paul, et al. “Early Childhood Exposure to Parental Nudity and Scenes of Parental Sexuality ("Primal Scenes"): An 18-Year Longitudinal Study of Outcome.” Archives of Sexual Behavior, Volume 27, Issue 4, Aug. 1998, p. 361–384, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/13604229_Early_Childhood_Exposure_to_Parental_Nudity_and_Scenes_of_Parental_Sexuality_Primal_Scenes_An_18-Year_Longitudinal_Study_of_Outcome

Summary

Increasing academic researchers and clinicians have suggested that exposure of a child to parental nudity or scenes of parental sexuality may constitute a subtle form of sexual abuse, referred to as syndromes such as "emotional incest" or "covert sexual abuse." A longitudinal study investigated the long-term correlates of exposure to parental nudity and scenes of parental sexuality by examining 204 families over 18 years. The study found no harmful main effects of the exposure to parental nudity or scenes of parental sexuality, and some trends indicated beneficial correlates, particularly with regard to reduced likelihood of sexual activity in adolescence and with an improved quality of sexual experiences.