On the one hand you don't want kids to see that kind of shit, particularly if you're a parent. On the other hand, I think the whole "causing psych trauma" to a kid is fairly overblown when they see something like that.

I know I've got a story to tell about a lot of shit, but... yeah... The wife and I drove the family out to LA for the weekend back around the summer of 2005. While we were there, we were heading towards Sunset and turned a corner and right there, in front of everyone was some tall skinny black dude doing what I can only described as "piss jacking" in a garbage can attached to a sign pole or something. Dick out, fully exposed, pissing with what I'm assuming was a semi on, and at the same time stroking it. I saw it, the missus somehow missed it, but my oldest daughters saw it. At the time, my oldest was only 11 years old and her sister was just 6.

They both laughed their asses off after letting out an "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEW!!! Look at what he's doing!!!"

No trauma, no anything. They have grown up to have normal, happy lives.

This isn't to say that all kids will take it that way, but at least some might see some shit like that and find it hilarious, others will be scared, some will be affected.

At the same time, I can see SoWhat's point about masturbation in general. We, as a society, tend to demonize it to the point where you can't really have a healthy attitude towards it despite it being completely natural (in AZ, it's legally considered "self abuse"). I know this was a subject NEVER discussed in my household growing up, and neither my father or my stepfathers discussed it with me. Seeing something like that should prompt a discussion with the children by their parents to explain it, and let them know it's illegal to do such a thing in public, but it's perfectly fine to do in private.