The erotic stimulation of one's own genitals.

Between 60 and 90% of adolescent boys and 40% of girls masturbate. Although people's attitudes about masturbation differ widely, there is no evidence that masturbation is in any way physically harmful. For many people, masturbation is an opportunity for private sexual exploration before deciding whether to engage in sexual activity with another person.

For Further Study

Books

McCoy, Kathy, and Charles Wibbelsman. The New Teenage Body Book. New York: The Body Press (Putnam), 1992.