Chapter 15 - Variant Sexual Behavior & Paraphilias: In-Depth Notes

Understanding Normal and Variant Sexual Behavior

  • Definition of Normal Sexual Behavior

    • Difficult to define due to historical and cultural variations.
    • Often determined by the following criteria:
    • Prevalence: How common the behavior is.
    • Moral correctness: Judged by societal standards or religious beliefs.
    • Naturalness: Linked to procreation potential.
    • Adaptiveness/comfort: Positive outcomes for participants.

  • Social Construction of Normalcy

    • Definitions of what is considered normal can change rapidly over time.
    • Example: Increased acceptance of oral sex and BDSM activities in recent decades.

Paraphilias vs. Paraphilic Disorders

  • Distinction

    • Paraphilias are unusual sexual interests that may not cause distress or harm.
    • Paraphilic disorders involve distress or harm to others.

  • Criteria for Paraphilias (DSM-5)

    • Arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors that involve:
    • Nonhuman objects, suffering/humiliation of self or partner, children, or nonconsenting individuals.
    • Most frequently diagnosed in men.

  • The Origins of Kinky Desires

    • Hughes and Hammock (2022) identified five themes from a 260 participant study of self-identified kink users:
    • Identity: Personal traits and role exploration (73% of participants).
    • Nurture: Life experiences, both traumatic and non-traumatic (38.1%).
    • Negation: Disavowing certain origin ideas (25%).
    • Nature: Biological/heritage bases for desires (23%).
    • Uncertainty: Inability to identify origins (10%).

Understanding Variant Sexual Behaviors

  • Examples of Variant Behaviors
    • Nudism: Advocacy for society accepting nudity without any sexual undertones.
    • Rough Sex: Often influenced by pornography which can normalize non-consensual behaviors if not discussed.
    • Risks: Includes choking, hair pulling, and the necessity of prior consent due to non-consensual rough sex equating to sexual assault.

DSM-5 Definitions and Disorders

  • Paraphilias as Distinct Classifications

    • Legal vs. illegal based on the infringement of others' rights.
    • Examples:
    • Voyeurism: Observing unsuspecting naked individuals for sexual gratification.
    • Exhibitionism: Exposing one's genitals to unsuspecting individuals.
    • Fraterism: Touching/rubbing against non-consenting individuals for sexual arousal.

  • BDSM and Paraphilic Disorders

    • BDSM involves consensual dynamics of dominance/submission.
    • Diagnoses involve significant impairment or distress from behaviors, e.g., Sexual Masochism Disorder and Sexual Sadism Disorder.

Pedophilic Disorder

  • Definition

    • Characterized by sexual fantasies or behaviors involving children 13 or younger, with specific age criteria (individual must be at least 16).

  • Types of Chronophilias

    • Nepiophilia: Attraction to infants.
    • Hepophilia: Attraction to prepubescent children.
    • Phebophilia: Attraction to post-pubescent adolescents.

Understanding Non-Victimizing Paraphilias

  • Fetishistic Disorder
    • Intense sexual arousal from nonliving objects or non-genital body parts.
    • Based on substance type (intrinsic nature of the fetish) or form type (presentation of the object).
  • Transvestic Disorder
    • Characterized by sexual arousal from cross-dressing, distinct from transgender experiences.