UNIVERSIDAD DE COSTA RICA

SEDE DEL ATLÁNTICO

RECINTO DE GUÁPILES

“Paraphilias: The six more common and the six more unknown in the world.”

Bermúdez Murillo Yorleny

Elizondo Torres Keren

León Rodríguez Catalina

Trejos Morales Jessie

Guápiles, Pococí

April, 2010

Introduction

This research is about sexual behaviors named Paraphilias, focused on the six more common and the six more unknown in the world. According to the president of the Psychiatric and Human Sexuality Section WPA, Hernandez, R. paraphilias have been present in the world since the XIV century. He mentions that the first man who talk about this topic was the German neurologist Richard Von Kraft Ebing (1840-1903), who developed an investigation named Sexual Psychopathies. This investigation is a good support for many other people who are studying about this topic around the world. Also, after Richard Von Kraft Ebing, some others researchers made their approaches about this subject, for example: Sigmund Freud, John Money and also the DSM IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Moreover, Hernandez mentions that Brenda Love (1992) made an average list of 400 unusual sexual behaviors, as a result, it can notice that there are a lot of these sexual characteristics present in human beings.

The research “Paraphilias: the six more common and six more unknown in the world” was chosen in order to get knowledge about them, because as future teachers it is important to know which the different sexual behaviors are, and how can affect or not a student performance. Base on that, it can say that teachers should study and analyze the kind of behavior that a student can have, because in that way teachers could help him/her if a student needs it. For example, classmates could mock of a student practicing any paraphilia, which could affect in her/his academic performance.

Also, this topic is interesting because it is almost unknown for many people and in some cases it is a taboo, but the real issue is that it is so common.

Objectives

Terminal objective:

Ø To explain the details about the six more common and the six unknown Paraphilias in the world.

Enabling objectives:

Ø To explain the concept of paraphilia.

Ø To look for the causes of these behaviors.

Ø To prove the social repercussion that a person could have practicing these kinds of sexual behaviors.

Ø To determine which the treatments for these sexual behaviors are.

Abstract

The present project consists in the study of twelve paraphilias, the six more common (pedophilia, exhibitionism, frotteurism, masochism, sadism, and voyeurism) and the six more unknown (acrotomophilia, coprophilia, klismaphilia, menophilia, asphyxiophilia, and gerontophilia) in the world. It contains data about the concept of these sexual behaviors, the causes of why they are originated, and the social repercussions if a person has these disorders, and the treatments which are available for some of them.

Theoretical Framework

Understanding what paraphilias mean the following definition was taken from the DSM-IV (Kafka, 2006):

“Paraphilias are sexual impulse disorders characterized by intensely arousing, recurrent sexual fantasies, urges and behaviors that are considered deviant with respect to cultural norms”.

Also, according to this source paraphilia is a term used to identify sexual deviations or perversions. The person who has a sexual disorder involves the preoccupation to practice these behaviors, to the point of dependency, as a means of releasing sexual energy.

Moreover, based on the Merck Manual of Medical Information (2007a) it is common in healthy adult, when the couple mutually agree, some degrees of fantasies in their sexual relationships, these non injurious sexual behaviors may be part of a loving and caring relationship. But, when this actions turn into a routine and are extreme, such sexual behaviors are paraphilias.

In a wide sense, the DSM-IV says that paraphilias will fall into one or more of the following aspects:

ü Sexual fantasies and behaviors with non-human objects.

ü Sexual behaviors involving humiliation, pain, or suffering of oneself or another person.

ü Adult sexual behavior involving children.

ü Non-consenting sexual behavior involving another adult.

ü Sexual intrusion on the privacy or personal space of an unsuspecting person without their knowledge or consent.

Most of the paraphilias according to Benuto, L. (2009), emerge during adolescence although there is usually a connection with events in early childhood. These events lead the person to associate sexual pleasure with that event, so the result develops a paraphilia. Also, she says that researchers have not identified a specific biological or biochemical reason, so psychological factors seem to be the cause.

On the other hand, supported by the psychologist Moelker, W. (2008), there are many theories that try to explain the origin of an unusual sexual fantasy, thought or behavior in people, but a final explanation is not known yet. She also assumes that causes of paraphilias are originated in puberty.

Due to paraphilias are behaviors present in the society and people think that these kind of sexual fantasies belong to unhealthy people, this research has the objective to inform about the six more common and the six unknown paraphilias and avoid prejudices.

Based on the psychiatrist and professor of the University of Toronto Stephen Hucker (2005), the six more common paraphilias are pedophilia, exhibitionism, frotteurism, masochism, sadism, and voyeurism.

The pedophilia is a preference for sexual activity of fantasies with children, younger than 13 by a person older than 16. Although several pedophiles are attracted only to children many of them are attracted to kids and adults. Also, these people could be attracted to young boys, girls, or both, but most of them prefer children of the opposite sex. In addition, it is more common in pedophiles looking or general touching than to caress the genitals or having sexual intercourse. Generally, the children know the adult because is a family member, stepparent, or a person with authority (such as a teacher). So, the methods used by the adult to commit pedophilia are force, and threats (for example, to harm the child or the child's pets).

The exhibitionism is another common paraphilia which is divided into two actions, one is to show the genitals to strangers in order to become sexually excited and the second is to have a strong desire to be observed by other people during sexual activity. The majority of the exhibitionists are males who need to surprise, shock, or impress the victim, however sexual contact is almost never sought, so they rarely commit rape. This practice usually begins when people are in their mid 20s.

On the other hand, when exhibitionists have the need to practice their sexual acts, such people want to be seen by a consenting audience, rather than to surprise people. Consequently, many of this kind of exhibitionists make pornographic films or become adult entertainers.

Another common paraphilia which begins in adolescence is known as frotteurism that consist in the intentional rubbing up against or touching an unsuspecting victim for the purpose of sexual arousal. Most of the people who live with this paraphilia are male and the most common parts to touch of the victim’s body are the breasts, legs and buttocks. Besides, the person touches the victim with his hands or rubs his genital area against the affected, this situation usually occurs in crowded settings where it can be interpreted as an accidental behavior.

The next paraphilia is the masochism that involves acts in which a person experiences sexual excitement from being humiliated, beaten, bound, or otherwise abused. Activities with a partner include bondage, spanking, simulated rape, cutting or piercing their skin, or burning themselves. In the majority of the cases the humiliation and abuse are acted in fantasy, the couple is aware that the behavior is a "game," and actual pain and injury is avoided.

The sadism is one of the more frequent sexual behaviors in which an individual person experience sexual excitement from inflicting physical or psychological suffering on a sexual person. This disorder is different from minor acts of aggression in normal sexual activity. However, in the most extreme cases involves illegal activities such as rape, torture, and even murder, in which case the death of the victim produces sexual excitement.

Besides, the last more common paraphilia is voyeurism which involves sexual aroused by watching someone who is disrobing, naked, or engaged in sexual activity and they do not seek sexual contact with the people being observed. The period when this behavior begins is during adolescence or early adulthood. Some degree of voyeurism is common, for instance, viewing sexually pictures on internet, but the problem starts when the person is keeping in secret that behavior and they spend a lot of time seeking out viewing opportunities.

As the objective of that investigation is to explain the details about the six more common and the six unknown paraphilias in the world, the following information is regarding to the more unknown sexual behaviors which are: acrotomophilia, coprophilia, klismaphilia, menophilia, asphyxiophilia and gerontophilia.

The first unknown sexual behavior is named as acrotomophilia which was recognized in 1990 in clinics as a rare behavior. It consists in the attraction to someone who is an amputee and also it occurs if the person fantasized that its partner is an amputee, this practice could assume bizarre forms when the person ask to his or her partner to wrap a bandage around a limb to simulate the amputation.

Another unknown paraphilia is named coprophilia or fecophilia that consists of the condition of feeling sexual excitement focused on feces, like the practice of brown showers that refers to defecate on a person to derive sexual pleasure. People who practice this kind of paraphilia has the risks of an infection with diseases such as hepatitis, due to they are eating feces of anyone or consuming one's own feces.

On the other hand, klismaphilia was coined by Dr. Joanne Denko in 1973 that is also an unknown paraphilia which involves sexual excitement from having an enema that consists in the internal wash out through water or other liquid; it is considered in some cases as a type of anal masturbation. This kind of paraphilia is frequently associated with fetish for spanking, anal play and diapers.

The menophilia is another weird sexual behavior which is regarding to feel sexually excited at the sight of a menstruating woman, people who are involve in that kind of paraphilia are attracted by the smell, image, taste or feel of the blood expelled during menstruation that provoke sexual excitement. Moreover, there is a connection between the blood from the vagina and a primitive instinct in human beings, but that connection is not clear yet.

In addition, asphyxiophilia is when the person gets sexually aroused as he or she is slowly deprived of oxygen by self-strangulation or from being strangulated or asphyxiated by a sexual partner that may or not be involved in the act, but not including the loss of consciousness. Some methods used to feel the satisfaction are the usage of plastic bags over the head or self-strangulation, typically by the use of a ligature (scarfing). This practice provokes a very dangerous sexual gratification because the state of asphyxia produces more endorphins increasing the level of pleasure. This paraphilia is extremely risky and the authorities have some data about cases that ended in accidental deaths.

Finally, the gerontophilia is also one of the unknown paraphilias in that research. There are a few studies of this kind of deviant behavior that describes a specific sexual inclination towards the elderly people and they are not interested in young women or men. In some cases elder women are raped resulting in murder or death, this paraphilia is more common in those cultures where grandparents or elder people play chief role.

These kind of sexual behaviors are more common each day, so it is important to know them and to realize that these practices carry out some repercussions in many aspects of human lives. But this research is focused on the social consequences and according to the Merck Manual of Medical Information (2007b) people with a paraphilia have difficulties to be affective and the partners of them could feel like an object or if they are unnecessary in relationship. Also, the manual shows that paraphilias cause significant sorrow from people's reactions or from the feeling of guilty about something that is unacceptable.

Even not all of these paraphilias have treatments, psychiatrist have founded some ways to help people with sexual disorders. Based on the data of Benuto, L. (2009), treatments depends on the nature of the paraphilia and they have different ways to be applied, for instance the biological component such as medications like medroxyprogesterone acetate, antidepressants, leuprolide, and goserelin, the psychological component for example psychotherapy, and the sociocultural component like family or group therapy. Although some paraphilias are crimes such as pedophilia and must be punish, the simple act to be in jail does not change the desire or fantasy of the person.

Terminologies

Acrotomophilia: The attraction to someone who is an amputee.

APA: American Psychiatric Association.

Asphyxiophilia: Self-strangulation or asphyxiated.

Coprophilia or fecophilia: Sexual excitement focused on feces.

DSM IV: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Exhibitionism: Exposing oneself sexually to others

Frotteurism: Intentional rubbing or touching an unsuspecting victim.

Gerontophilia: Sexual inclination towards the elderly people.

Klismaphilia: Sexual excitement from having an enema.

Masochism: Sexual excitement from being humiliated, beaten, bound.

Menophilia. Sexual excitement at the sight of a menstruating woman.

Paraphilias: Sexual impulse disorders.

Pedophilia: Sexual activity of fantasies with children.

Sadism: Sexual excitement from inflicting physical or psychological suffering on a person.

Voyeurism: Sexual aroused by watching someone who is disrobing, naked, or engaged in sexual activity.

WPA: Psychiatric and Human Sexuality Section.

Outline

¨ Chapter I Introduction: This research is about sexual behaviors named Paraphilias, focused on the six more common and the six more unknown in the world.

¨ Chapter II Theoretical Framework:

ü The concept of paraphilia.

ü The causes of paraphilia.

ü The six more common paraphilias.

pedophilia

exhibitionism

frotteurism

masochism

sadism

voyeurism

ü The six more unknown paraphilias.

acrotomophilia

coprophilia

klismaphilia

menophilia

asphyxiophilia

gerontophilia

ü The social repercussions of paraphilias.

ü The treatments of paraphilia.

¨ Conclusion

Conclusion

During many time, paraphilias were not know, but through the history this concept have evolved and at the same time extended its critics about people who practice this sexual behavior. Thanks to investigations made, paraphilias are nowadays well known and people can understand and have knowledge what a paraphilia is and how can affect or not in the social performance of a person. Base on that, paraphilia is considered as a mental disorder, recurrent sexual fantasies, urges and behaviors that are considered deviant with respect to cultural norms.

In that way, it can conclude that there are a lot of paraphilias, but in this research were analyzed twelve; the six more common (pedophilia, exhibitionism, frotteurism, masochism, sadism, and voyeurism) and the six more unknown (acrotomophilia, coprophilia, klismaphilia, menophilia, asphyxiophilia and gerontophilia), which their causes according to specialists, emerge during adolescence with an usual connection of events in early childhood and psychological factors, but the origin is not proved yet for some psychologists.

Supporting the ideas above, paraphilias have social repercussions; for example difficulties to be affective, sorrow from people’s reaction, feelings of guilt and others. Due to these social repercussions, some of them have treatments like medication, psychotherapy and family or group therapy.

References

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