Do some cultures molest children in order to pacify them?

[Dr. Flibble]

I've heard on more than one occasion that in some cultures, it's typical for parents and caregivers to perform sexual acts on babies and toddlers in order to calm them down and help them sleep. Cultures to which this disturbing practice has been attributed include Japan, Bali, Thailand, Albania, parts of Latin America and the Carribean, native Hawaiians, various native American groups, Australian aboriginals, and some tribes in Papua New Guinea.

What I want to know is, does it really exist? I have my doubts. I haven't researched it, nor do I want to for obvious reasons (hence why I'm turning to you guys to do the research for me), but it smacks of urban legend to me. It goes without saying that there have always been tons of nasty rumours and outright lies about the practices of foreign cultures (particularly their sexual practices), usually meant to demonize them and justify bigotry towards them. Such myths are present even in the social sciences (perhaps especially so), and remain widespread to this day, for all that political correctness has tried to stamp them out.

I see plenty of reason to believe that this practice is just another one of these myths. It seems suspicious for several reasons. For starters, it seems unlikely that doing something like that to a child would have the supposed effect of calming it down. Furthermore, it strikes me as out of character for most of the cultures to which it is attributed. On top of that, I'd have thought if such a shocking practice was real, you'd hear about it more often.

Hence, I decided to ask here because of this site's focus on combating ignorance and racism. I'm not sure if this the right board for this topic, but it is sort of science-related, as it's to do with sociology/anthropology, and none of the other boards seemed appropriate. I've already asked on Snopes - the thread in question is here: (http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?p=1662064#post1662064), for anyone interested. Quite a few people said they had at least heard of the practice, but were unable to provide any clarification, and were likewise skeptical.

One person provided a link to a (really, really creepy) supposedly academic anthropological website detailing sexual development in cultures around the world. This site seemed to confirm that the practice was indeed real, and does indeed exist in most of the cultures to which it has been attributed, but I am still not sure, since the quality of the site in question was absolutely atrocious - one of the worst I've ever seen - being so sloppily put together as to be all but incomprehensible. Parts of it weren't even in English! While it did cite plenty of "academic" works and studies, I have no idea as to the veracity of any of them. I strongly suspect that a large percentage of the content of the site is pseudoscientific drivel - the product of either racist  @#!*%  trying to demonize foreign groups by portraying them as sexual deviants, or pedophile apologists such as NAMBLA members trying to justify their perversions.

[Sleepy]

I may've come across something like this in history or psychology courses before, but I don't remember well enough to confirm whether it was just speculation or actual documented fact in my textbook. Searches on the topic turn up nothing for me, and the link you mentioned really doesn't appear to be trustworthy. I do know that there is this, though that doesn't really rule out that it could still exist in some cultures. (On a side note, I'm embarrassed that the US hasn't ratified it.)

Good question, though, since this is something I think a lot of people have heard in passing, but have never been able to confirm one way or the other.

[Random Gal]

I've heard it was common for nurses in the early middle ages to do this.

[Saturn500]

I may've come across something like this in history or psychology courses before, but I don't remember well enough to confirm whether it was just speculation or actual documented fact in my textbook. Searches on the topic turn up nothing for me, and the link you mentioned really doesn't appear to be trustworthy. I do know that there is this, though that doesn't really rule out that it could still exist in some cultures. (On a side note, I'm embarrassed that the US hasn't ratified it.)

Good question, though, since this is something I think a lot of people have heard in passing, but have never been able to confirm one way or the other.

We should put pressure on our government to ratify it.

With lethal force, if necessary Let's spam Obama's e-mail address!

[gyeonghwa]

I'll remain skeptical at best. Nothing in my ethnographic readings would indicate this theory to be true.

[Old Viking]

Seems very dubious on the face of it.

[largeham]

I've heard it was common for nurses in the early middle ages to do this.

I remember being told that peasants in Russia used to do this right up to the late 19th/early 20th C.

[Sylvana]

I find this very unlikely. Given normal methods of parenting or even more extreme backwards methods of parenting there are faster more effective ways to pacify a child than sexually molesting them, and the parent would know that. However, I am inclined to say that perhaps in those cultures sexuality is viewed much more openly and so younger sexual interactions might take place. That said I still strongly doubt the original supposition that they molest the children to pacify them.

[Yla]

For starters, it seems unlikely that doing something like that to a child would have the supposed effect of calming it down.

I don't think it's that unrealistic. Children can experience pleasure from masturbation/massage of zones which will be erogenous a decade later, which would indeed have a calming effect. Usually it tends to be counteracted by intimacy invasion trauma, but that is a lot more socially conditioned than a simple feeling like pleasure.

I have nothing to add to the topic in general though.

[TigerHunter]

For starters, it seems unlikely that doing something like that to a child would have the supposed effect of calming it down.

I don't think it's that unrealistic. Children can experience pleasure from masturbation/massage of zones which will be erogenous a decade later, which would indeed have a calming effect. Usually it tends to be counteracted by intimacy invasion trauma, but that is a lot more socially conditioned than a simple feeling like pleasure.

I have nothing to add to the topic in general though.

Babies have been observed masturbating in the womb. It's just pleasure to them.