Which stage of Freud's development focuses on sexual desires towards others, typically starting at age 12?

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The stage of Freud's development that focuses on sexual desires towards others, particularly beginning around age 12, is the Genital Stage. This stage represents the culmination of psychosexual development, where individuals begin to experience mature sexual intimacy and develop sexual feelings towards others.

During the Genital Stage, which begins around puberty and extends into adulthood, the focus shifts to establishing relationships and engaging in romantic and sexual relationships, aligning with an individual's stabilization of their identity and values. Freud believed that this stage is characterized by the realization that sexual urges can be similarly expressed through loving and caring relationships rather than just through self-serving actions.

The other stages mentioned, such as the Phallic Stage, Latency Stage, and Anal Stage, focus on different aspects of development. The Phallic Stage centers on the Oedipus complex and the exploration of gender identity, while the Latency Stage marks a period of relative sexual calm and focuses on social and intellectual skills, occurring before puberty. The Anal Stage, which precedes these, focuses on toilet training and control, not on sexual desires towards others.

Thus, the Genital Stage is distinguished by the emergence of sexual relationships with others, making it the correct answer to this question.

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