Hi bonaire...

I don't know if objectification is the issue here. Stimulie for masterbation does not necessarily result in objectifying.

I think what can be more lasting is any shame he might experience through being "caught". Some of that shame may come from you. Shame has a way of doing that,,cross generational. How you were taught to view masterbation and its "secrecy"..blindness sort of nonsense,,some dogma from relgious points of view, and the overall victorian slant on sexuality that has permeated our ideas about sex in western cultures for a few centuries...

I would certainly talk to him about it..maybe over a quiet dinner sometime...

Explain that masterbation is completely normal,,,literally everyone does it...that you have also and still do. It is a part of normal sexual developement and fantasy. Encourage him to ask any questions he may have about the incident or anything for that matter. He is at an age where having someone, especially a loving parent, that can validate his feelings no matter what they are, is most important...

We all should strive to break the cycle of shame...

With Care,

Lenny