Sigmund Freud He was the father of the greatest psychoanalytic theories: the theory of sexuality in children. This neurologist, he was the one who had the idea that a person's development revolved around their sexual development. However, for him, the concept of sexuality was not only the concept of genital sexuality, but something much broader that encompassed the entire development of human affectivity. According to Freud, they are distinguished three erogenous zones in the sexual development of a person, being these those parts of the body that can promote pleasure and, that will be happening in the neurological development of the boy or girl
However, what caused him more controversy with his colleagues, was that he attributed a sexual life to children from their first days of life. So he created what he called the theory of sexuality. Since he posed mature sexuality as a result of childhood sexual development, something he himself called 'pregenitality'. Because it does not have the same characteristics that we give it in adulthood and it is a process that develops gradually. Find out his theory of sexuality that he divides into four parts in total!
The oral phase in the theory of sexuality
Covers from birth to 2 years. The sense of pleasure is localized in the mouth and on the lips. All the activity of the baby, in his first year of life, revolves around satisfying his oral needs (suckling, eating, drinking). It is through his mouth that the baby begins to establish first affective bases with his mother and also serves as a center for exploration and knowledge of the outside world. Since when you can not satisfy any of these needs, then you will find yourself with the feeling of anxiety, which is most unpleasant. But broadly speaking, it can be said that there is a great connection with the issue of the mouth and food, as well as with her mother, thanks to the fact that she is the one who generates the food, during the lactation period. For Freud, the libido is linked to the need to survive through sucking and later chewing when it comes to solid food.
The anal phase
It is located between 2 and 4 years, approximately. The child's sexuality extends to the entire digestive system and her interest is centered on the anus, defecation and the toilet training. According to Freud, this is where his zone of satisfaction is concentrated. For the little ones it is a moment of total happiness, they live it in a very intense way and also something new. It is important to teach the child about correct hygiene habits, avoiding falling into excessively severe or overly permissive systems. In these first two phases, the common element is always the most personal topic, without having to resort to anything or anyone else. Something that makes them stand out from those that are yet to come.
The phallic phase
It is between 4 and 5 years old. It is at this age when the libido (sexuality) is located in the genital organs. The curiosity that the boy and the girl feel towards their own body will make them begin to explore it and discover their genital organs. They will also be attracted to the difference between their sexes and that of others. Freud argued that all children at this age feel an erotic desire for their mother, while they see their father as a rival. The child tries to identify with his father in order to achieve the love of his mother, Freud called this the Oedipus Complex. Something similar occurs with girls, which he called electra complex. Freud also qualified that there are some similarities with the organization of the adult because it begins to look for external objects.
Phase or latency period in Freud's theory of sexuality
This other phase is between 5 and 6 years. Now everything changes, or almost. because the boy or the girl feels an evolution of his sexuality that focuses more on tenderness than in the previous So that way, what they feel is channeled towards new objectives, new entertainment such as games. When the Oedipus complex falls under its own weight, this phase begins.
genital phase
Within Freud's theory of sexuality, we find this last phase or period. A period that will lead to puberty, so that all the previous phases are unifying. Pleasure is again the one who leads the genital area and it is one of those phases where the sexual identity of each person is elaborated. New interests and a lot of curiosity to experiment are awakened.