Most paraphilias emerge during adolescence although there is usually a connection with events or relationships in early childhood. Once established, they tend to be chronic, although some research has indicated that the behaviors will reduce as the individual ages (Barbaree & Blanchard, 2008).
Though there is no known cure for these conditions, paraphilias can be effectively managed using a multimodal treatment approach.
Paraphilias are emotional disorders defined as sexually arousing fantasies, urges, or behaviors that are recurrent, intense, occur for at least 6 months, and cause significant distress or interfere with important areas of functioning.
Childhood sexual abuse is considered a leading cause of pedophilia, among other paraphilias and resultant paraphilic disorders. Maybe preventative measures should start here. Many psychiatrists and mental healthcare providers feel that the only cure for a pedophilic disorder is incarceration.
The most common paraphilias are pedophilia (sexual focus on children), exhibitionism (exposure of genitals to strangers), voyeurism (observing private activities of unaware victims), and frotteurism (touching or rubbing against a nonconsenting person).
Most paraphilias emerge during adolescence although there is usually a connection with events or relationships in early childhood. Once established, they tend to be chronic, although some research has indicated that the behaviors will reduce as the individual ages (Barbaree & Blanchard, 2008).
Studies show that 62.4 % of people are affected by at least one type of paraphilia. Some types of paraphilia are more common than others. For example, voyeurism is one of the most prevalent types of paraphilia and occurs in about five percent of men and three percent of women.
Causes of Paraphilia
According to some specialists, it is induced by childhood trauma, such as sexual abuse. Others argue that if an object or scenario is regularly and consistently connected with a pleasurable sexual action, it might become sexually stimulating.
Paraphilias are psychiatric disorders characterized by deviant and culturally non-sanctioned sexual fantasies, thoughts, and/or behaviors. A proportion of these individuals may also suffer from symptoms of mental illness that can go unrecognized.
Paraphilia (previously known as sexual perversion and sexual deviation) is the experience of intense sexual arousal to atypical objects, situations, fantasies, behaviors, or individuals. It has also been defined as sexual interest in anything other than a consenting human partner.
Paraphilia is any intense and persistent sexual interest other than sexual interest in genital stimulation or preparatory fondling with phenotypically normal, physically mature, consenting human partners.
Paraphilias are behaviors likely resulting from an interaction between genetic and psychosocial factors as well as additional factors such as impaired inhibition, for instance due to substance abuse or decreased intelligence.
The chapter on paraphilic disorders includes eight conditions: exhibitionistic disorder, fetishistic disor- der, frotteuristic disorder, pedophilic disorder, sexual masochism disorder, sexual sadism disorder, transvestic disorder, and voyeuristic disorder.
Certain paraphilias – such as paedophilia, voyeurism and exhibitionism – are illegal if enacted, although it is not illegal to have fantasies or urges to enact.
Treatment for compulsive sexual behavior usually involves talk therapy — also called psychotherapy — medicines and self-help groups. The main goal of treatment is to help you manage urges and reduce problem behaviors while still enjoying healthy sexual activities and relationships.
Paraphilias (sexual deviance) are very common among narcissists and, more so, among psychopaths. (They) usually reflect an utter inability to recognize other people's boundaries by seeking to merge with them and thus control them.
It should be noted, however, that generally speaking, the paraphilias involve a disorder of sexual aim, involving the object of one's sexual interest, and the hypersexual disorders involve an increase in the strength of one's sexual drive towards otherwise conventional objects.
Types of Paraphilic Disorders
It's only classified as a disorder when it causes significant distress or causes some form of harm and occurs for at least six months.
It is also not clear from these views why many paraphilic interests, and especially many paraphilias and paraphilic disorders, are much more common in men than in women. One possible factor affecting male's higher rate of paraphilias is anxiety, because anxiety can potentiate sexual arousal in men.
Paraphilias all have in common distressing and repetitive sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors. These fantasies, urges, or behaviors must occur for a significant period of time and must interfere with either satisfactory sexual relations or everyday functioning if the diagnosis is to be made.
Prevalence of Paraphilic Interests in Men and Women
Ahlers et al. (2011) found that 64% of a community male sample reported sexual interest in at least one paraphilic activity, with paraphilic fantasies (59%) being more commonly reported than behaviors (44%).
Such findings support that paraphilic disorders are likely obsessive-compulsive in nature.
Paraphilias are found almost exclusively in males. When a female is alleged to have engaged in problematic sexual behavior, nonparaphilic explanations for that behavior should be sought. Exhibitionism is defined as a sexual preference for exposing one's genitals.
Hybristophilia is a paraphilia involving sexual interest in and attraction to those who commit crimes.
Studies suggest that at least some people who identify as asexual might be best categorized as having a paraphilia. This makes sense when you consider that research has found that many self-identified asexuals masturbate and, further, that many of them have sexual fantasies, too.