Courtship disorder

Last updated

Courtship disorder is a theoretical construct in sexology developed by Kurt Freund in which a certain set of paraphilias are seen as specific instances of anomalous courtship instincts in humans. [1] The specific paraphilias are biastophilia (paraphilic rape), exhibitionism, frotteurism, telephone scatologia, and voyeurism. According to the courtship disorder hypothesis, there is a species-typical courtship process in humans consisting of four phases, and anomalies in different phases result in one of these paraphilic sexual interests. According to the theory, instead of being independent paraphilias, these sexual interests are individual symptoms of a single underlying disorder. [2]

Contents

Courtship disorder hypothesis

According to the courtship disorder hypothesis, there is a species-typical courtship process in humans consisting of four phases. [3] [4] These phases are: "(1) looking for and appraising potential sexual partners; (2) pretactile interaction with those partners, such as by smiling at and talking to them; (3) tactile interaction with them, such as by embracing or petting; (4) and then sexual intercourse." [5]

The associations between these phases and these paraphilias were first outlined by Kurt Freund, [6] [7] the originator of the theory: A disturbance of the search phase of courtship manifests as voyeurism, a disturbance of the pretactile interaction phase manifests as exhibitionism or telephone scatologia, a disturbance of the tactile interaction phase manifests as toucheurism or frotteurism, and the absence of the courtship behavior phases manifests as paraphilic rape (i.e., biastophilia). According to Freund, these paraphilias "can be conceptualized as a preference for a pattern of behavior or erotic fantasy in which one of these four phases of sexual interaction is intensified and distorted to such an extent that it appears to be a caricature of the normal, while the remaining phases are either omitted entirely or are retained only in a vestigial way." [8]

Freund noted that troilism (a paraphilia for observing one's sexual/romantic partner sexually interacting with a third party, usually unbeknownst to the third party) [9] might also be a courtship disorder, [8] [10] troilism being a variant of voyeurism.

Appropriate behaviors depend on the social and cultural context, including time and place. Some behaviors that are unacceptable under most circumstances, such as public nudity or sexual contact between dancers, may be accepted or even encouraged during celebrations like Carnival or Mardi Gras. Where such cultural festivals alter normative courtship behaviors, the signs of courtship disorder may be masked or altered. [11]

Evidence and acceptance of the theory

Paraphilias within the Courtship Disorder spectrum co-occur with each other more frequently than with paraphilias outside the courtship disorder spectrum. [12] [13] [14] [15] The courtship disorder model offers an underlying common cause for these paraphilias in men to explain this co-occurrence. [6] [7]

Courtship disorder is widely cited by sexologists and forensic scientists as one of the predominant models of the paraphilias. [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] Murphy and Page wrote that "The 'Courtship Disorder Theory' of Freund is one of the only theories specific to exhibitionism." [21] According to Lavin (2008), "Freund's theory, more than the others, makes it clear that the ordering of activities ... has clinical significance." [22]

Another theoretically based taxonomy of the paraphilias was proposed by John Money, who described the range of paraphilic interests as lovemaps. [23]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paraphilia</span> Atypical sexual attraction

A paraphilia is an experience of recurring or intense sexual arousal to atypical objects, places, situations, fantasies, behaviors, or individuals. It has also been defined as a sexual interest in anything other than a legally consenting human partner. Paraphilias are contrasted with normophilic ("normal") sexual interests, though the definition of what makes a sexual interest normal or atypical remains controversial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Voyeurism</span> Sexual interest in or practice of spying on people engaged in intimate behaviors

Voyeurism is the sexual interest in or practice of watching other people engaged in intimate behaviors, such as undressing, sexual activity, or other actions of a private nature.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexual fetishism</span> Sexual arousal a person receives from an object or situation

Sexual fetishism or erotic fetishism is a sexual fixation on a nonliving object or body part. The object of interest is called the fetish; the person who has a fetish for that object is a fetishist. A sexual fetish may be regarded as a non-pathological aid to sexual excitement, or as a mental disorder if it causes significant psychosocial distress for the person or has detrimental effects on important areas of their life. Sexual arousal from a particular body part can be further classified as partialism.

Frotteurism is a paraphilic interest in rubbing, usually one's pelvic area or erect penis, against a non-consenting person for sexual pleasure. It may involve touching any part of the body, including the genital area. A person who practices frotteuristic acts is known as a frotteur.

An obscene phone call is an unsolicited telephone call where a person uses profane and/or sexual language to interact with someone who may be known to them or may be a complete stranger. Making obscene telephone calls for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure is known as telephone scatologia and is considered a form of exhibitionism.

Hebephilia is the strong, persistent sexual interest by adults in pubescent children who are in early adolescence, typically ages 11–14 and showing Tanner stages 2 to 3 of physical development. It differs from pedophilia, and from ephebophilia. While individuals with a sexual preference for adults may have some sexual interest in pubescent-aged individuals, researchers and clinical diagnoses have proposed that hebephilia is characterized by a sexual preference for pubescent rather than adult partners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Freund</span> Czech-Canadian physician and sexologist (1914–1996)

Kurt Freund was a Czech-Canadian physician and sexologist best known for developing the penile plethysmograph, research studies in pedophilia, and for the "courtship disorder" hypothesis as a taxonomy of certain paraphilias. After unsuccessful attempts to change men's sexual orientation, he advocated against conversion therapy and in favor of the decriminalization of homosexuality.

The term chronophilia was used by psychologist John Money to describe varying forms of romantic preference and/or sexual fixation limited to individuals of particular age ranges. Some such fixations, specifically those towards prepubescents and those towards the elderly, constitute types of paraphilia. The term has not been widely adopted by sexologists, who instead use terms that refer to the specific age range in question. An arguable historical precursor was Richard von Krafft-Ebing's concept of "age fetishism". Importantly, chronophilia are technically not determined by age itself, but by human sexual maturity stages, such as body type, secondary sexual characteristics and other visible features, particularly as measured by the stages of the Tanner scale.

Gerontophilia is the primary sexual attraction to the elderly. A person with such a sexual preference is a gerontophile or gerontosexual.

Psychosexual disorder is a sexual problem that is psychological, rather than physiological in origin. "Psychosexual disorder" was a term used in Freudian psychology. The term of psychosexual disorder used by the TAF for homosexuality as a reason to ban the LGBT people from military service.

Biastophilia and its Latin-derived synonym raptophilia, also paraphilic rape, is a paraphilia in which sexual arousal is dependent on, or is responsive to, the act of assaulting an unconsenting person, especially a stranger. Some dictionaries consider the terms synonymous, while others distinguish raptophilia as the paraphilia in which sexual arousal is responsive to actually raping the victim.

The lovemap is a concept originated by sexologist John Money in his discussions of how people develop their sexual preferences. Money defined it as "a developmental representation or template in the mind and in the brain depicting the idealized lover and the idealized program of sexual and erotic activity projected in imagery or actually engaged in with that lover."

Paraphilic infantilism, also known as autonepiophilia and adult baby, is a sexual fetish or non-sexual fetish that may involve role-playing a regression to an infant-like state. Paraphilic infantilism is a form of ageplay. People who practice paraphilic infantilism are often colloquially referred to as "adult babies", or "ABs".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Blanchard</span> American-Canadian sexologist

Ray Milton Blanchard is an American-Canadian sexologist who researches pedophilia, sexual orientation and gender identity. He has found that men with more older brothers are more likely to be gay than men with fewer older brothers, a phenomenon he attributes to the reaction of the mother's immune system to male fetuses. Blanchard has also published research studies on phallometry and several paraphilias, including autoerotic asphyxia. Blanchard also proposed a typology of transsexualism.

Pedophilia is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of puberty at age 10 or 11, and boys at age 11 or 12, psychiatric diagnostic criteria for pedophilia extend the cut-off point for prepubescence to age 13. People with the disorder are often referred to as pedophiles.

Erotic target location error (ETLE) is a hypothesized dimension for paraphilias, defined by having a sexual preference or strong sexual interest in features that are somewhere other than on one's sexual partners. When one's sexual arousal is based on imagining oneself in another physical form the erotic target is said to be one's self, or erotic target identity inversion (ETII).

Other specified paraphilic disorder is the term used by the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) to refer to any of the many other paraphilic disorders that are not explicitly named in the manual. Along with unspecified paraphilic disorder, it replaced the DSM-IV-TR category paraphilia not otherwise specified (PNOS). In the revised DSM-5-TR published in 2022 no changes have been made regarding Other specified paraphilic disorder.

Sexual sadism disorder is the condition of experiencing sexual arousal in response to the involuntary extreme pain, suffering or humiliation of other people. Several other terms have been used to describe the condition, and the condition may overlap with other conditions that involve inflicting pain. It is distinct from situations in which consenting individuals use mild or simulated pain or humiliation for sexual excitement. The words sadism and sadist are derived from the French writer and libertine Marquis de Sade, who wrote several novels depicting sexualized torture and violence.

Sexual masochism disorder (SMD) is the condition of experiencing recurring and intense sexual arousal in response to enduring moderate or extreme pain, suffering, or humiliation. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) of the American Psychiatric Association indicates that a person may have a masochistic sexual interest but that the diagnosis of sexual masochism disorder would only apply to individuals who also report psychosocial difficulties because of it.

References

  1. ↑ Aggrawal, Anil (2009). Forensic and Medico-legal Aspects of Sexual Crimes and Unusual Sexual Practices. Boca Raton: CRC Press. ISBN   978-1-4200-4308-2.
  2. ↑ Freund, K.; Kolářský, A. (1965). "Grundzüge eines einfachen bezugsystems für die analyse sexueller deviationen ['Basic features of a reference system for considering anomalous erotic preferences']". Psychiatrie, Neurologie, and Medizinische Psychologie. 17: 221–225.
  3. ↑ Freund, K. (1976). "Diagnosis and treatment of forensically significant anomalous erotic preferences." Canadian Journal of Criminology and Corrections, 18, 181–189.
  4. ↑ Freund, K., & Blanchard, R. (1986). "The concept of courtship disorder." Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 12, 79–92.
  5. ↑ Cantor, J. M., Blanchard, R., & Barbaree, H. E. (2009). Sexual disorders. In P. H. Blaney & T. Millon (Eds.), Oxford Textbook of Psychopathology (2nd ed.) (pp. 527–548). New York: Oxford University Press.
  6. 1 2 Freund, K. (1988). "Courtship disorder: Is the hypothesis valid?" Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 528, 172–182.
  7. 1 2 Freund, K., Scher, H., & Hucker, S. (1983). The courtship disorders. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 12, 369–379.
  8. 1 2 Freund, K. (1990). "Courtship disorder." In W. L. Marshall, D. R. Laws, & H. E. Barbaree (Eds.), Handbook of Sexual Assault: Issues, Theories, and Treatment of the Offender (pp. 195–207). NY: Plenum.
  9. ↑ Hirschfeld, M. (1938). Sexual Anomalies and Perversions: Physical and Psychological Development, Diagnosis and Treatment (new and revised ed.). London: Encyclopaedic Press.
  10. ↑ Freund, K., & Watson, R. (1990). "Mapping the boundaries of courtship disorder." The Journal of Sex Research, 27, 589–606.
  11. ↑ Maharajh, H. D., & Konings, M. (2007). Dancing frotteurism and courtship disorder in Trinidad and Tobago. Journal of Chinese Clinical Medicine, 7(2).
  12. ↑ Abel, G. G., & Osborn, C. (1992). "The paraphilias: The extent and nature of sexually deviant and criminal behavior." Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 15, 675–689.
  13. ↑ Abel, G. G., Becker, J. V., Cunningham-Rathner, J., Mittelman, M., & Rouleau, J.-L. (1988). "Multiple paraphilic diagnoses among sex offenders". Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law. 16 (2): 153–168. PMID   3395701.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ↑ Templeman, T. L., & Stinnet, R. D. (1991). "Patterns of sexual arousal and history in a "normal' sample of young men". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 20 (2): 137–150. doi:10.1007/BF01541940. PMID   2064539. S2CID   7570236.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ Fedora, O., Reddon, J. R., Morrison, J. W., Fedora, S. K., Pascoe, H., Yeudall, L. T. (1992). "Sadism and other paraphilias in normal controls and nonaggressive sex offenders". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 21 (1): 1–15. doi:10.1007/BF01542713. PMID   1546932. S2CID   29725978.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  16. ↑ Maea, M., & Coccaro, E. F. (1998). Neurobiology and clinical views on aggression and impulsivity (Clinical & neurobiological advances in psychiatry series). New York: Wiley.
  17. ↑ McConaghy, N. (1993). Sexual Behavior: Problems and Management. New York: Plenum.
  18. ↑ Coleman, E., Dwyer, S. M., & Pallone, N. J. (Eds.) (1996). Sex Offender Treatment: Biological Dysfunction, Intrapsychic Conflict, and Interpersonal Violence.
  19. ↑ Krueger, R. B., Kaplan, M. (2001). "The paraphilic and hypersexual disorders: An overview." Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 7, 391–403.
  20. ↑ Wiederman, M. W. (2003). "Paraphilia and Fetishism". The Family Journal. 11 (3): 315–321. doi:10.1177/1066480703252663. S2CID   146788566.
  21. ↑ Murphy, W. D., & Page, I J. (2008). "Exhibitionism: Psychopathology and theory." In D. R. Laws and W. T. O'Donohue (Eds.), Sexual deviance: Theory, assessment, and treatment (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford
  22. ↑ Lavin, M. (2008). D. R. Laws; W. T. O'Donohue (eds.). "Voyeurism: Psychopathology and theory". Sexual Deviance: Theory, Assessment, and Treatment (2nd ed.). New York: Guilford.
  23. ↑ Money, John (1986). Love Maps: Clinical Concepts of Sexual/Erotic Health and Pathology, Paraphilia, and Gender Transposition in Childhood, Adolescence, and Maturity. New York: Prometheus Books.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.