of childhood I have been unable to
detect any notable difference in this respect between the sexes; but
during the latter part of the second period of childhood, boys are
unquestionably more active. In general, the girl-child, when in love,
displays far less coyness and reserve than the young woman. In this
respect the difference between children and adults is most marked. A
girl of eleven, for example, will not make any difficulties about the
exchange of love-letters with the boy she loves, or about appointments
for secret meetings; whereas the young woman, at any rate when
well-behaved and well brought up, is cautious in such matters. But none
the less, I cannot admit that girls are more free in their behaviour in
these respects than boys. We must not forget that many typical sexual
differences do not develop until later in life; for this reason, if we
observe in respect of the sense of shame that girls seem somewhat
defective, we must contrast their condition with that which will
subsequently develop as age advances, and not expect to find prematurely
in the girl a keener sense of shame than is exhibited by the boy.

Sanford Bell believes that at a certain period during childhood, namely,
between eight and twelve years of age, manifestations of love are less
noticeable than either earlier or later. He alleges as the reason of
this that at this particular age the child tends to conceal its fondness
from others, and perhaps even from the person beloved; hence it is
difficult during these years to observe the phenomena. According to this
view, the difference is apparent merely, and depends only upon greater
secretiveness. It may, indeed, be regarded as proved that in the course
of development, especially in the case of boys, there are certain years
during which children are less inclined to seek the company of those of
the opposite sex than either before or afterwards. This occurs
especially during the period of hobbledehoyhood, during which boys take
pleasure above all in rough sports. It has, indeed, been suggested that
this phenomenon has a teleological significance, that nature is here
pursuing a quite definite aim, to minimise by means of sexual antipathy
the danger attendant on the awakening of the sexual impulse. We must
not, however, over-value this self-help of the part of nature [if it
exists], since, if boys and girls avoid one another, the perverse
activities of the undifferentiated sexual impulse may very r