The Relationship Between Children's Masturbation Behavior and Their Mothers' Temperament and Character Dimensions: A Case-Control Study

Abstract

Objective: Childhood masturbation (CM) is the self-stimulation of the genitalia by a child with the intention of obtainingpleasure and is frequently associated with physical distress signs and symptoms. In this study, we aimed to examinethe temperament and character traits of mothers of a clinical sample of infants and young children, who presented withthe complaint of masturbation compared to a control group. Sociodemographic and clinical features of the children inthe study group were also assessed.Methods: Fifty two infants and children (36 girls and 16 boys) with a mean age of 4.4±1.7 years exhibiting masturbationand their mothers were included in this study together with a control group consisting of 52 age, gender, and age ofmother-matched infants and children. Socio-demographic data and clinical information was obtained through interviewsby the researchers and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) was completed by the mothers. All statisticalanalyses were performed using SPSS for Windows, Version 20.0.Results: The Total Novelty Seeking (NS), Impulsivity subscale (NS2) of Novelty Seeking, Attachment (RD3) subscale ofReward Dependence, and Transpersonal Identification (ST2) subscale of Self-Transcendence scores were significantlyhigher in the study group; while the Total Self-Directedness and Responsibility subscale of the (SD1) Self-Directednessscores were significantly lower in the mothers of CM compared to control group. According to the logistic regressionmodel, the odds of exhibiting masturbation increased in a child as the scores of Impulsiveness subscale of NoveltySeeking dimension and the Attachment subscale of Reward Dependence scores increased and the scores of Responsibility subscale of Self-Directedness scores were decreased in the mothers of CM group. Conclusions: The findings may indicate a relationship (as a mediator) between problematic childhood masturbation and the temperament and character traits of their mothers, but it should be further studied in large samples.