In a recent TVP Info broadcast focusing on topics such as abortion, the “morning-after” pill, and sexual education, a notable discussion emerged, particularly around the topic of masturbation, featuring insights from leftist feminist and University of Warsaw professor, Monika Płatek.
During the segment, which also featured MP Magdalena Sroka and abortion rights activist Natalia Broniarczyk, Professor Płatek shared her personal approach to educating her four-year-old granddaughters about masturbation. Emphasizing the natural aspect of the behavior, Płatek argued for a need to teach children about privacy and social acceptability regarding such acts. “I am a grandmother of four-year-olds. We do not learn to masturbate. We masturbate in a natural way. And my way of raising [my granddaughters] is to explain that they can do it when they are alone in their room because it is a private matter,” Płatek stated.
She further argued that the act of masturbation is a natural phase in both childhood and adulthood, stressing the importance of teaching children the right to engage in it privately and in socially acceptable conditions, rather than instilling fear or prohibition around the subject.
The discussion has ignited a wave of controversy and critique, with some voices in the community expressing dismay at the level of debate on TVP Info. The Center for Life and Family, through a post on the social media platform X, criticized Płatek for discussing masturbation as natural and teaching it to her four-year-old granddaughters. Meanwhile, publicist Krzysztof Karnkowski lamented the broadcast’s content, particularly the discussion of young children’s sexuality, as inappropriate and discomforting.