LATE CHILDHOOD (9-12) increases in testosterone) are equally significant, particularly as

In the years from 9 to 12, most children will begin a rapid phase of they relate to sexuality. As they go through puberty, it is typical
transition from childhood to adolescence. The term "Puberty" for young people to develop a heightened, at times seemingly
refers to a stage of biological maturation where a boy or girl obsessive, preoccupation with their physical appearance. Anxiety
becomes capable of reproduction. Although some children will begin over physical appearance can lead to feelings of inadequacy.
the changes of puberty before age 9, most will begin the process
Relationships with peers are also likely to change. Whereas, in the
of rapid growth and physical change in the years between 9 and 12.
years leading up to puberty, there is a tendency for children to
For some children, noticeable changes do not begin to occur until
interact mostly with same sex peers, as youth approach the teen
age 13 or in rare cases until age 14 or later. On average, girls will
years they begin to increase social interaction with the opposite
begin puberty at age 10 or 11 and boys will begin at age 11 or 12.
sex.
There are a number of noticeable physical signs that a boy or girl
has begun puberty. Overall physical growth will accelerate with It is during this period that feelings of attraction may take on an
some boys and girls growing several inches taller per year. overtly sexual component. The "crush's" that younger children
often have will, with the beginning of puberty, evolve into more
For girls these changes include breast development, the
adult like attractions that may include feelings of sexual
appearance of hair in the genital (pubic) and underarm areas. The
attraction. Socially, youth entering puberty will be taking more
sweat glands in the genital and underarm areas become active. This
pronounced steps into adult gender roles and in so doing they may
is also the time when most girls will begin menstruating (see below).
begin dating or more likely in their words "hanging out", or "going
A girl's internal reproductive organs (ovaries, uterus, vagina) grow
with", or "go together". Typically, in the 9 to 12 age group such
rapidly during puberty. The external genitalia (clitoris, labia) will
relationships do not involve sexual intercourse. Youth of this age
also increase in size. The average age of first menstruation for
are much more likely to be kissing and hugging, while breast and
girls living in North America is about 12 ½ years but it is quite
genital touching are less likely but not uncommon.
normal if a girl has her first menstruation several years before she
reaches the age of 12 or if she has her first menstruation several For most young people it is likely that the basis of their sexual
years afterward. A girl who has begun puberty will experience orientation will have been formed well before puberty. However, as
vaginal lubrication that accompanies sexual arousal. youth begin to experience the more direct sexual attraction and
fantasy that accompany puberty, lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth
The physical changes of puberty are similar for boys. They will
are likely to become more concretely aware of their sexual
begin to grow hair in the underarm and genital areas. The penis and
orientation. In other words, these youth are at the time in their
scrotum will begin to grow larger and many boys will begin growing
lives where their homosexual or bisexual orientation is leading
facial hair that becomes courser and darker over time. A boy who
them to the developmental task of establishing to themselves, and
has begun puberty will sooner or later experience ejaculation which
perhaps to others, a self identity as gay, lesbian or bisexual. This
may occur while he is asleep (commonly referred to as a wet
may cause added stress to the experience of puberty for
dream). A boy going through puberty will experience erections
homosexual and bisexual youth. It is also not uncommon for
much more frequently than he did in the past.
heterosexual youth, particularly in early adolescence, to have some
Puberty is typically the time where the nature and frequency of same gender sexual attractions or fantasies. This is not unusual
masturbation in both boys and girls changes compared to earlier in and such attractions should be not seen as necessarily indicative of
childhood. The focus of masturbation becomes geared towards a youth's sexual orientation.
pleasure and orgasm. Many girls and boys who did not masturbate
Most youth in the 9 to 12 age group will not have experienced
earlier in their lives will begin to do so during puberty. While nearly
sexual intercourse. At present, the median age of first intercourse
all adolescents will experiment with some form of masturbation,
for males and females in Canada is 17. That is, half of Canadian
some will masturbate regularly and some will do so infrequently or
teens will have intercourse before age 17 and half will have it after
not at all. Unless an adolescent is masturbating so frequently that
age 17. About 5% of boys and 1% of girls will have had intercourse
it interferes with basic aspects of his or her life (e.g., school,
by their 12th birthday. By the age of 14, about 30% of males and
family and social life) it does not cause physical or psychological
20% of females will have had sexual intercourse at least once.
harm.
These figures on the age of first intercourse among youth are
It is important for parents and educators to make sure that important for parents/caregivers and educators to consider
children are fully aware of what changes to expect when puberty because they clearly point to the need for youth in the 9 to 12 age
begins well before the changes actually begin to happen. After a group to receive broadly-based sexual health education.
long period of gradual and predictable growth, during puberty a
It is clear that if sexual health education is to meaningfully assist
young person's body begins growing very quickly and in very
youth in promoting and enhancing their sexual health it must
different ways than it did before. These changes can be confusing
provide relevant information, motivation, and behavioural skills
and traumatic, particularly if a boy or girl does know they are
before they become sexually active. For example, information and
coming. The first major step a parent or educator can take in
skills geared towards helping youth delay first intercourse that is
assisting a young person through puberty is to make them fully
initially provided when they are age 14 will be too late for many.
aware of the changes that will occur. Not only should boys and girls
More importantly, since approximately a quarter of youth do have
be fully aware of the changes that will occur in their own bodies
intercourse by the time they are 14, it is vital that those youth
but they should also be provided with opportunities to learn about
who do become sexually active at this point are fully educated and
the changes that occur in the opposite sex.
equipped to protect themselves against unintended pregnancy and
The biological aspects of puberty, while certainly profound, tell sexually transmitted diseases. As children enter puberty they
only half the story. The emotional/psychological aspects of enter a period of heightened sexuality. Nearly all youth at this
puberty (many of which are linked to biological maturation: e.g. phase of development are preoccupied to some extent with
 sexuality. As a result, 9 to 12 is a critical period for the provision doesn't have slightest hint of a protruding chest. A
of sexual health education. preteen as young as 10 years old may experience her
first menstrual period. However, the average starting age
DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOMES is 12.5.
 Development in Boys
 Physical changes associated with puberty  Boys in late childhood may notice an enlargement of the
testicles and scrotum, possibly as young as age 9. A boy's
 Psychological/social changes associated with puberty
penis generally starts to grow around age 12. Also around
 Full understanding of rights and responsibilities related this time, boys will begin to grow pubic hair, as well as
to sexuality and relationships. armpit, leg, chest and facial hair.
 Boys & Girls
COMMON BEHAVIOURS  Boys and girls alike experience rapids growth spurts in
late childhood. Girls begin to sprout between the ages of
 Dating (i.e., going with) 9 and 14. Boys lag behind slightly at the onset, but will
more than make up for it as time goes on. A boy's growth
 Physical intimacy (kissing, petting)
in height usually occurs between ages 10 and 18, seeing
 Masturbation the most rapid growth typically at around age 14.
 Outlook
 Preoccupation with sexuality (e.g., frequently makes
 The physical development in late childhood is setting the
references to sexuality)
stage for the upcoming teen years, during which time
 Interest in sexual media boys and girls will complete puberty and experience
significant mental and cognitive development as they
CONCERNS
mature into full adulthood.

 Premature initiation of adult sexual activity Overview

Late childhood begins your transition into adulthood. Late
 Difficulty adjusting to homosexual or bisexual orientation
childhood is also called puberty. During puberty, you go through
 Difficulty with body image several physical and emotional changes. Puberty starts when your
brain releases chemical messengers called hormones. These
 Difficulty with social skills
hormones trigger your body to develop into the body of an adult.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES Time Frame
Puberty usually starts between the ages of 8 to 13 for girls and 10
 Complete knowledge of the physical and psychological to 15 for boys. But you can be healthy and enter puberty earlier or
aspects of puberty. later. Adolescence, or young adulthood, is the name of the time
period between 13 to 21 years old.
 Broadly-based sexual health education, including delay of Effects
first intercourse and contraception/safer sex. During puberty, you gain weight. You might grow 4 or more inches
in a year. Girls may notice one breast growing faster than the
 Social skills education related to rights and
other, but usually this evens out. Sometimes boys experience
responsibilities in relationships and mutually satisfying
temporary breast growth, too. Acne pimples, or skin bumps, may
interpersonal relationships.
appear on your face, neck, and back. Hair growth and body odor
 Development of media literacy skills to understand, may occur under your arms and in your genital, or pubic, area
interpret, and evaluate media sexuality messages and imagery. between your legs.
Features
 Overview
During puberty a girl gets curvier. Her hips get rounder. Her voice
 Late childhood is generally defined as ages 9 through 12.
gets mellower. She begins to have vaginal discharges--white,
Up until this point, most children have been growing at
mucous-like liquid comes out of her vagina to naturally cleanse it.
fairly predictable rates. Now, all bets are off due the
If you're a girl, 2 to 2 ½ years after your breasts start growing,
often wild fluctuations in physical development. One
you'll start menstruating. This means you have started to ovulate--
preteen can be in a completely different growth phase
your ovaries release one or more eggs each month. 
than another child who is the exact same age. The
disparity in physical development may continue well into
Boys develop bigger and stronger muscles. If you are a boy, your
adolescence, when growth patterns even out.
voice gets deeper--it might squeak or break while it's changing.
 Considerations
You'll start to get erections now---sometimes your penis will get
 The first signs of puberty typically begin to appear in
hard and bigger and stick out from your body. You might have
late childhood. The term puberty is used to define the
erections anytime. Once you get erections, semen--a white fluid
approximately 5-year period of biological maturation
containing sperm--can squirt out of your penis. This squirting is
where a boy or girl becomes able to reproduce. In girls,
called ejaculating. Ejaculating while asleep is called having a wet
puberty can begin between the ages of 8 and 13, while it
dream.
usually begins around age 10 in boys.
Significance
 Development in Girls
If you're a girl, once you start to ovulate, you can get pregnant.
 The years of late childhood development can be exciting
You can get pregnant even before you have your first period
and confusing, and even a bit disillusioning. A 12-year-old
because you could start ovulating without knowing it. If you're a
girl may have a hard time understanding why her 9-year-
old neighbor has already developed breast buds while she
boy, and you've started to ejaculate, you can get a female
pregnant.
Warning
Some children have a chromosomal disorder that affects their
growth. Turner syndrome, which affects girls, and Klinefelter
syndrome, which affects boys, are chromosomal disorders that can
slow down how fast a child develops. A child who shows no signs of
puberty by age 16 should be checked by a physician to find out
why, notes the website TeensHealth.
Expert Insight
A study published in 1997 by Dr. Marcia Herman-Giddens and her
colleagues at University of North Carolina School of Public Health
showed that African-American girls are more likely to start
puberty earlier---as early as 6 years old. In the study, the average
African-American girl started puberty between the ages of 8 and
9. The same study suggests that chemicals in pesticides may cause
girls in the United States