Paraphilic Crime

Criminal paraphilia is often a source of controversy due to variations in cultural and social norms. Many paraphilias are not criminal in and of themselves; however, one uncontested attribute of criminal paraphilia is that it involves the victim not giving consent or not being able to give consent. For example, being sexually aroused by hair is not a crime, but stealing a person’s hairbrush to gain access to their hair is a crime. Similarly, not all sex offenders are sexual predators. For this Discussion, you will consider the differences between noncriminal and criminal paraphilia, sexual predators and sex offenders, and the influences of social media and the internet on paraphilic behavior. Resources Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity. Readings Media Optional Resources To prepare: Take the Pervert Quiz found in this week’s Learning Resources to gain a better understanding of how child predators target children. Note: This quiz is ungraded; however, you must complete it in order to successfully participate in this week’s Discussion. WARNING: This quiz is meant to be a teaching tool and not for entertainment. This quiz may be considered disturbing and may be a trigger for someone who has experienced childhood sexual abuse. Should you require support, please refer to the Student Assistance Program resource found in this week’s Optional Resources. Review the Learning Resources this week to deepen your understanding of criminal behavior, specifically child predators and how they target children. Consider the differences between noncriminal and criminal paraphilia, sexual predators and sex offenders, and the influences of social media and the internet on paraphilic behavior. Examine the Week 9 Case Studies document located in this week’s Learning Resources and select one case study on which to focus for this Discussion. by day 3 Post the following: Describe the case study you selected. Explain the situation or behaviors exhibited in the case and whether they constitute noncriminal paraphilia or criminal paraphilia. Justify your explanation and provide an example. Explain whether committing this crime would classify the offender as a sexual predator or a sex offender. Justify your explanation and provide an example. Explain whether you believe the internet and social media influences paraphilic behavior. Justify your explanation and provide an example. Note: Your post should be substantial (1 paragraph or more for each bullet point above), supported with scholarly evidence from your research and/or the Learning Resources, and properly cited using APA style. Read your colleagues’ postings. SY 6720/8720: Abnormal Behavior Week 9 Case Studies Sexual Gratification Through Uncommon Sexual Fantasies and/or Behaviors When people develop paraphilia, they often explore and engage in more than one form of paraphilia. The three components to a paraphilia are etiology, fantasy, and behavior. Usually, one paraphilia tends to dominate over the other paraphilia due to fantasy and experimentation; voyeurism, exhibitionism, and frotteurism are common forms of paraphilia acted out with no physical harm to their victims. Some men become very focused on paraphilias that are relatively easy to hide from public scrutiny, while other paraphilic behaviors attract much public attention. Some paraphilias are not criminal, although they are often viewed as sexually deviant behaviors. The focus of this week’s topic is criminal paraphilia. These crimes are perpetrated primarily by males who seek out nonconsenting victims or persons pretending to be victims. Often paraphiles seek occupations that afford them access to nonconsenting victims. Case 1 Necrophilia: someone who has sexual relations with a corpse or parts of a corpse (partialism). Some men are pseudonecrophiles—persons who pretend to have sex with the dead. John has fantasized about being with a dead person for some time. He has attended several funerals and often reads literature about funeral parlors, death, cremation, and burials. He understands that digging up women after they have died and been buried is a crime, but his urge to be with a corpse is overpowering. John finds his outlet online where he can enter chat rooms that focus on death. He has also used prostitutes to go with him to cemeteries to have sex on the graves of deceased women. Sometimes he pays prostitutes who specialize in paraphilia to ice themselves down so their skin is cold to the touch and cover themselves in white powder to simulate the appearance of a corpse. The woman crawls into a coffin, and John is able to join her for a sexual encounter where the “corpse” does nothing except to simulate being dead. There is no rejection toward John, something he deeply fears, and no humiliation for potential underperforming. From the perspective of the prostitute, she is performing a service that keeps John from committing real acts of necrophilia. She compares her services to that of any prostitute who gets paid to be a sex worker. Case 2 Hair fetish: a person sexually aroused by the sight, smell, or touch of another person’s hair. Wally cannot recall why he has an attraction to hair, but he knows he has a strong compulsion to touch a person’s hair without their consent. Now in his early 20s, Wally finds himself traveling on public transit where he often sits behind women. At first, he resisted the impulse to touch their hair, but gradually and carefully he began reaching his hand out to feel their hair. Once he realized he could do this without detection, he began removing fallen strands of hair on women’s clothing and putting them in his pocket. At home, Wally began a collection of women’s hair. As his collection grew, so did his desire for more hair. This would require a strategy where he could get clumps of hair and not get caught. He bought scissors and began stalking women at night. He preferred women with longer hair because he felt more secure in being able to easily cut off a few stands and flee before the woman knew what was happening. He approached his first victim from behind as she walked along a city street near a college campus. In a second, he had secured some hair for his collection. Now he could have a lot of hair to touch and smell. He fantasized about his victims and convinced himself that they would not object to him having their hair to stroke and smell. Case 3 Voyeurism: also known as peeping Tom. Mike has been peeping at women for 2 years and visits multiple homes each night. He knows their routines and the best times to see them through open doors and windows. He has learned the craft of stalking and being completely silent while watching. He has never been caught, although, once a neighbor across the street from where he was standing saw him peeping and called the police. Mike followed his preplanned escape route without being caught. He likes being invisible but also believes the women know he is there and deliberately leave their blinds open enough for him to peer through. He believes that the relationship he is developing with each woman is consensual. Sometimes he has an urge to enter the homes but has not done so thus far. Case 4 Foot fetishist: a person who has a sexual attraction to feet. David has always reported being aroused by the sight of women’s bare feet. He lives in California where the weather is usually warm and women wear open-toed shoes/sandals. David found a full- time job working at Macy’s and was drawn to the shoe department, where he quickly rose to department head. He was an excellent employee and made sure he was always available to assist women needing to try on shoes. He was very discrete in holding a woman’s foot while he put on the new shoe. Eventually he developed an attraction to the smell of women’s feet and fantasized about breaking into the homes of women living alone and, while they slept, peeling back the bedcovers and sucking on their toes. David resisted those temptations, knowing he would likely get caught. He eventually met a woman to whom he disclosed his secret attraction. They have since married, and when David is at home, she walks around the house in her bare feet.