BALI, Indonesia – I first heard about anatomical dolls from a social worker.

Anatomical dolls have body parts according to their gender: they have genitalia shaped like a penis or a vagina instead of the polite but sexually silent, flat crotch Ken and Barbie dolls have.  

The social worker told me they use the dolls in their work with young kids who have been sexually abused.

Often, the children cannot articulate the sexual abuse acts they were subjected to. The fact that perpetrators are usually a family friend or a relative adds to a child’s fear and anxiety.

‘Don’t tell anybody’

The dolls are used to help children tell their story. They can show – without having to tell – what was done to them and how.

The anatomical dolls are a powerful tool for social workers and those working with children who have been abused. A child’s story, as told through the anatomical dolls, can aid law enforcement in drafting a testimony and filing a case against a perpetrator.

Local garment producer AntHill Fabrics works with Home Plush Toys to make the anatomical dolls in the Philippines. 

“It’s used in juridical courts around the country for children and women who are victims of abuse to help them tell their story. I love how these dolls are used as visual aids but also help in trauma therapy,” said Anya Lim, owner of AntHill Fabrics.

Anatomical dolls for sex ed

Today, I came across actual anatomical dolls for the first time. The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) uses anatomical dolls as a teaching aid in school-based sexuality education programs in Indonesia and Hong Kong.

One set of dolls represents a family. There is a man, a woman, a boy, and a girl in early pre-pubescent age. They are used to introduce the proper name of body parts, the concept of “private parts,” and the difference between a good touch and a bad one. 

“This is part of age-appropriate sex education. Kids in kindergarten can be introduced to these topics already,” said Tet Arcenal, IPPF senior advocacy program officer. 

Older kids are exposed to dolls that reflect the changes in their own bodies.

“We have another set of older dolls that have more developed bodies. The female doll has developed breasts, the male doll has armpit hair, and both dolls have pubic hair,” explained Arcenal. 

“The dolls are also very helpful in answering the question: Where do babies come from?” said Elisabet Widyastuti, who proceeded to demonstrate how a fetus that comes with the mother doll can be “pulled out” from the vagina to illustrate childbirth.

Using an accompanying sex education module, Widyastuti trains public school teachers on how to use the dolls. “We have to get the school to accept the program first of course, then we can train the teachers.”

To provide a context of understanding, parents are also involved and informed about age-appropriate sex education being taught in school. (READ: Learning sex education in school)

“The parents have to know and they have to be involved. Otherwise, they might get shocked when the kids go home and start talking about how they learned about the penis and the vagina,” said Widyastuti.

According to experts at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, age-appropriate sex education, which includes teaching children anatomically correct terms – “penis” and “vagina” as opposed to euphemisms like “bird” and “flower” – has a number of benefits. (READ: When talking about sex is easy)

It helps promote positive body image and self-confidence, as well as prevent sexual abuse by positively discussing the concepts of consent, personal space, and boundary setting.

For Arcenal, the tactile experience of touching and holding the dolls has another practical advantage: “It’s more interesting than a PowerPoint presentation!” – Rappler.com