If masturbation can be called "self-abuse" then certainly any sexual
activity with a child (does anyone dispute that a 10 year old is a
child) is by definition "abuse".
About thirty years ago, while seated on a sofa waiting for my date to
finish dinner, her three year old daughter poked and prodded me several
times to get my attention. When I finally turned to her I saw that she
had her hand inside her pajama bottoms. She said, "Feel me down here." I
decided that at thirty-four I was the adult, so I replied, "I don't
think your mommy would want me to do that." She pulled her hand out of
her pj's and said, "oh." I told her mother what she had done and she
just giggled. I had to have a serious discussion about the ramifications
of sexual abuse. I think I convinced her to keep a closer eye on her
daughter.
By way of explanation, mother and daughter lived with mothers three
younger sisters (ages 10, 13 & 16 they probably played doctor a lot) and
her mother. Total of six females in the family with a wide variety of
ages.
Lee O.
