Introduction
Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language defines "seduce" as "I. to persuade to do something disloyal, disobedient, etc. 2. to persuade to do wrong, as by offering something; tempt to evil or wrongdoing; lead astray. 3. to persuade to engage in unlawful sexual intercourse, especially for the first time; induce to give up chastity." It is interesting that the third and last meaning given is the one most people usually think of, and that while the act is labeled "unlawful" the idea also has pleasant connotations. Rape is considered one of the worst crimes imaginable, but it is un-likely that anyone has ever been arrested for seducing another person-at least, another adult person. "Seductive," also according to Webster, is "tending to seduce, or lead astray; tempting; strongly attractive; enticing," which seems to indicate that there must be pleasure in being seduced.
A special situation arises, however, when the seducee is a child and the seducer an adult. Many such cases have been considered by Stuart M. Finch, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School and Chief of Children's Psychiatric Hospital in Ann Arbor, in an article entitled "Adult Seduction of the Child: Effects on the Child" published in Medical Aspects of Human Sexuality for March, 1973. "How commonly are children seduced by adults?" asks Dr. Finch, and goes on to answer the question in the most enlightened way possible.
"Unfortunately we have no accurate statistics on the incidence of such behavior, since many cases go unreported and hence unstudied. Some come to light at the time they occur, some are reported by adults in treatment as they recollect their childhood, and still others never come to our attention.
"It has been traditional in psychiatry to believe that sexual seduction of the child by an adult must invariably cause serious emotional problems for the child. While this is often true, it is not inevitable. The variables are many and so are the outcomes. Among them are such things as the age of the child, the time span involved, the degree of threat and aggression, and the kind of adult involved.
"It should be remembered at the outset that children are polymorphous perverse. This means that they can be 'taught' to enjoy a variety of sexual activities. They have not achieved genital primacy in the true sense, and can find pleasure in many kinds of sexual stimulation. At the time of seduction most children have learned that sex is not an acceptable activity, so that guilt usually follows any sexual involvement. The child's guilt is intensified by the seducing adult, who is usually secretive and warns or threatens the child to keep the secret. Thus we may have a situation from which the child gains pleasure but which makes him feel guilty and fearful."
After discussing several case histories to illustrate his points, Dr. Finch concludes: "There is no simple answer to the question of how sexual seduction by an adult affects the child. Even the term 'seduction' has many variations. It may be subtle in nature or quite overt and painfully traumatic. It may occur only once or extend over a long period of time. It may happen to a young child or an older one. The youngster may unwittingly contribute to its occurrence or may not. Although seduction almost always distorts the child's future ideas about sexual relations, a few children seem to escape relatively unharmed. The untoward results range from an acute traumatic neurosis to a chronic character disorder."
The Babysitter by Gloria Russell is a novel that raises these same questions and others as well. It is the story of sixteen-year-old Tootsie, who is spending the summer as "mother's helper" for Mimi and Gus Wells at their summer cottage. Tootsie is feeling the first stirrings of healthy sexuality, but knows that she has a lot to learn about sex as it is actually practiced. She feels herself strongly attracted to Gus Wells, who is still a young and virile man even though he is considerably older than our heroine. She watches Gus and Mimi make love and indulges in various fantasies of her own. She also has many friends of her own age who believe themselves thoroughly liberated from old-fashioned ideas and rules and want to experience life to the utmost. It is obvious that something is bound to happen-and something inevitably does.
Tootsie, in short, is ripe for seduction, but when the seduction occurs the question of exactly who seduces whom is a complex one. So is the question of its effect on Tootsie, who finds herself lost in a welter of confused emotions. The reader will sympathize as Tootsie tries to work things out and begin a new life, but will be hard put to predict exactly what is going to happen next. Tootsie is a very real human being, and her problems are genuine. As a former social worker who has worked with many girls much like Tootsie, Gloria Russell has produced a convincing character and an exciting story with a profound message very much for our time.
-The Publishers Chatsworth, Cal. April, 1973