One hundred years have passed since the Freudian discovery about child sexuality, but this is still a controversial topic. The proposal that the child is, before being a pure being, someone endowed with desires and conflicts still faces difficulties in understanding in contemporary society.
Among the concepts encompassed by the theory of child sexuality is the Latency Phase, which is primarily characterized by a period, or even an interval in the development of sexuality.
What is latency?
The word latency means the state of what is latent, which, in turn, means something that is not seen, that is hidden, or even that is understood, hidden. It is the time established, for example, between a stimulus and a response. We can understand this because the latency phase can be considered, first of all, a break.
When does the Latency Phase occur?
The latency phase or period is located between the phallic and genital phases, or between the child and adult sexual organization, and includes a decrease in what can be called activity sexual. Chronologically, this period is located approximately between six and ten years of age.
The beginning of this period is more tense and conflicting than its end, as the child gradually interacts better with the world around him. In other words, the latency phase corresponds to a gradual increase in the waiting time for the child's desires to be satisfied. She learns from her frustrations that she will not always be immediately satisfied and that this is important for her to relate to other people.
What are the characteristics of this phase?
Unlike what happens in other developmental stages (oral, anal, phallic and genital), in the latency stage a specific zone of eroticization is not identified. This means to say that libidinal energy is invested in an object other than the body itself. We can say that the sexual libido is dormant, in favor of other investments.
The latency period can also be characterized by the qualitative change in the child's relationship with his parents, based on the process of overcoming the Oedipus Complex. Thus, it is an extremely important period for the strengthening of the child's ego.
For a better understanding, it cannot be overlooked that the latency phase is concomitant with the child's schooling period, where their energy is invested in school activities and relationships social.
What is the importance of this period?
In order to better relate to all the people who are part of their life, children have their sexuality repressed or sublimated, so that you can then concentrate on other activities such as games, learning, playing and friendships.
It can also be said that it is during this period that children become able to identify with others, other than their parents, as schoolmates, teachers, fictional characters and heroes, who will be important for the development of their sexual identity. kids.
According to Freud, it is during this period that attitudes such as shame and morality are developed, which will be decisive in forwarding the sexual desires that will be aroused in puberty.
Juliana Spinelli Ferrari
Brazil School Collaborator
Graduated in Psychology from UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista
Brief psychotherapy course by FUNDEB - Foundation for the Development of Bauru
Master's Student in School Psychology and Human Development at USP - University of São Paulo
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/psicologia/a-fase-latencia.htm