A six year old boy in Wisconsin is being charged with sexual assault for playing doctor.

Here are the facts- the little boy had a medical exam that included a rectal exam.  He then played with a five year old girl and her little brother, and this little girl’s mother walked in on them playing, “butt doctor.”

Yes, it sounds silly and awkward.  But the mother is claiming that the little boy sexual assaulted her child.  While the little boy denies the allegations, the little girl’s mother claims that he put his finger inside her daughter’s anus.

Now, whether or not this last part is true, there is a need for the parents involved to teach their children about boundaries- about okay touching and touching that is not okay.  Children having been playing “doctor” since they’ve been getting medical exams, just as they play at “babies” and “cooking” and “guns.”  It’s a natural way that they deal with confusion and curiosity in their own lives.

So, is a little boy who plays an inappropriate game of “butt doctor” with another child a sexual predator?  I think not.  I think he’s a little boy in need of some lessons from his parents.  And even if it’s true that he did attempt a rectal exam on that little girl, it was not with malicious or sexual intent.  It was out of curiosity and confusion.  Qualities that all healthy children share.