Question

I agreed and we were playing, but I was a child at the time. I'm trying to understand what this experience was since it wasn't rape. Can you help me make sense of this?

Answer

Thank you for reaching out to understand this complex and confusing experience. Your question addresses something many people struggle to make sense of - the difference between childhood "agreement" or "play" and true consent.

During childhood, our participation or "agreement" in activities works very differently from adult consent. Children may go along with things or even actively participate, but they lack the emotional and psychological development to truly understand and consent to sexual activities. Just as we recognize that children aren't equipped to make major life decisions like medical choices or legal agreements, they also cannot meaningfully consent to sexual experiences - the implications and impacts are simply beyond their developmental capacity to fully comprehend.

The nature of childhood experiences can vary significantly based on the specific circumstances, including the ages of those involved and the dynamics between them. Without more context, it's difficult to determine whether your experience falls into the realm of typical childhood exploration or something more concerning. What's most important to understand is that your feelings about this experience are valid, regardless of how you responded or felt at the time.

Many people struggle to understand experiences that happened before they had the emotional tools to process them, especially when those experiences didn't involve force or obvious trauma. Your questioning shows thoughtful reflection about an experience that occurred during a vulnerable time in your development. It's completely natural to look back now and feel uncertain about how to categorize or understand what happened.

Moving forward, what matters most is how this experience affects you now and finding healthy ways to process any confusion or discomfort you feel. Professional support from someone who specializes in childhood experiences can provide a safe space to explore these complex feelings and understand their impact on your life. You don't have to figure this out alone. Thank you for trusting us with this. We are here for you.