It's. . . Difficult. I do feel bad for adolescents who are into this. For me, I, "knew," around 5 to 7, but, it was probably in me all along.
If you asked me back then what I knew, I couldn't have told you, because I didn't have words for it, but it was there.
Now, I used to be one of those who said, "What? This isn't a fe----. What!? How does everyone who thinks it is, figure?"
Then I realized that if the working definition that psychology pros are working with, is broader than people think it is, a fetish could be about more than climaxing, and that might not be the point at all.
For people with a psych background, "Oh, that's an unusual way to love, or pair bond. . . Fetish," is a thing, and fetish reaches beyond getting off.
Even kids, when developing normally, have parts, nerves, and a blood supply.
"It's part of who we are!"
Yeah, and so is what you like, and how you love, and how you pair bond. That's why it's called psychosexual development. You don't think what you like sexually, is part of your psyche? Since how you love and pair bond, and/or what you find sexy is atypical. . . Just explaining where the white coats are coming from.
"You," was just an easy pronoun. It wasn't directed at any particular person.
We don't know if a kid's BDLness is going to register with his or her parts or not, but we know how this is classified, and, now, I hope, we know why.
There are those on here who say this isn't sexual. Well, not typically or overtly so, no.
Let me put it to you this way, for those of us who don't boink our BIG, how many of us would have to fight the urge to hurt someone we saw stealing affection from, or hurting, said BIG? Why is that?
Sound a bit, "scorned partner," ish?
Has, "My BIG! Not your BIG; my BIG," replaced, "C'mere. Lemme climb you like a tree"?
Sorry for the tangent. My point was, this is what it is, understood and acknowledged or not, and given what this is, kids don't belong here.
Now, yes, it sucks being a prepubescent, or pubescent kid, and having this in you. When puberty hit, I wanted to be the BIG.
It did suck to be me growing up and thinking, "Okay, so, if you don't know Justin Temberlake is hot, you're either gay, or blind. Phew! I'm glad it's not that! Now, if I could just figure out why all I want to do is love him through an accident, we'll be all set. What is wrong with me!? This isn't normal."