Paraphilias are an attempt to define what is “normal” or “abnormal” regarding sexual behaviors. Nowadays we consider it normal that couples maintain varied sexual behaviors, the stimulation of the various erogenous areas of the body, sexual games and different seduction techniques that help the couple generate greater eroticism and lead them to the act. sexual. In short, different ways to promote the connection between them.
The abnormal, on the other hand, would be given by what escapes from what is legally and socially established. Which is far from an intimate loving connection between the couple and rather constitutes abuse or aggression, whether consensual or not. Also when this type of abuse of power is exercised in front of another or when the excitement is only generated by external objects or parts of the body that do not correspond to erogenous points. In this Psychology-Online article, we will talk about what paraphilias are and we will explain 16 types of paraphilias that are known today.
What are paraphilias
In the past, perversions were used to define any act that distances itself from love and prevents an intimate connection with another. It referred to the sexual act removed from all intimacy and leaving only the erotic meaning of it, which, in addition, tended to be focused on something other than the sexual organs and constituted a compulsion of something unresolved in the history of the person.
However, this way of seeing sexuality solely for the purpose of generating an intimate connection was greatly questioned and was expanded to integrate other types of relationships, until reaching the term paraphilias. Currently, according to the RAE, paraphilias are patterns of sexual behavior in which desire, excitement or pleasure present a deviation and are expressed as atypical and abnormal.
But what can we understand then by atypical and abnormal? Pomeroy proposes five criteria to define sexual behavior as abnormal:
- Statistical: sexual behavior is normal when it is practiced by the majority of the population and what is consensual as normal for the place, time, culture and social class influences here.
- Phylogenetic or biological: if it corresponds to the sexual behavior of mammals.
- Moral: consensus, visible in uses, customs and beliefs delivered by society.
- Legal: the set of written rules and their sanctions that seek to defend the sexual rights of people.
- Social: socially dominant behaviors that do not harm society or its members.
Paraphilias often cause significant discomfort in the person or interfere with the development of their daily life, affecting their social, work, interpersonal or family life. Next, we will see what the types of paraphilias are.
Voyeurism
Voyeurism is defined as sexual excitement intense when observing a naked person, undressing or engaging in sexual activity without that person being aware that they are being spied on. There are certain important aspects that make the difference between a paraphilia or not, which are:
- The person who is being spied on does not know that he is being spied on nor has he given his consent and the act of spying is a violation of your privacy.
- Voyeurism is constituted by observation, fantasies, uncontrollable desires to repeat the behavior and by the sexual behaviors and acts that it triggers.
- To consider it voyeurism, it is necessary that the person observing has planned the situation and has done so on several occasions. Having seen a naked person by chance and enjoying that moment is not paraphilic behavior.
In this article, we tell you if .
Exhibitionism
Exhibitionism is defined as pleasure that a person feels when exposing their genitals to strangers that they are caught off guard. Showing the intimate parts in an unexpected way, or the fantasy of doing so, is what generates sexual excitement and gratification for the exhibitionist. Since there is no consent from the other party, it is quite shocking and invasive for the other. It is also an act that constitutes a crime and an invasion of another’s privacy.
telephone eschatology
Telephone eschatology is one of the types of paraphilias in which the person experiences sexual arousal by generating obscene telephone calls to strangers without their consent. It is considered a subtype of exhibitionism and voyeurism. This type of paraphilias is also part of whatyes other specified paraphilic disorders.
Frotteurism
frotteurism is the pleasure generated by the act of touching the genitalsthrough touching or friction, to an unknown person without your consent. This type of person usually prefers situations with large crowds of people, such as public transportation or busy places, to be able to fulfill their fantasies and make them come true. They seek physical contact to masturbate later. This conduct is also a crime and is considered a street sexual harassment.
sexual masochism
Sexual masochism is one of the rare types of paraphilias in which the person feels a intense sexual arousal from being humiliated, beaten, tied up or subjected to suffering in any other way. Furthermore, the fantasy of imagining yourself in these types of situations excites you. It is considered a paraphilia because sexual arousal is related to violence.
sexual sadism
One of the most common types of paraphilias. The sadist is the person who feels pleasure and is only capable of being excited by the physical or psychological suffering of another person or the idea and fantasy of that. These types of practices are most of the time consensual between the sadistic-masochistic couple. Currently, there are even groups that meet to practice bdsm: Bondage, discipline, domination, sadism and masochism.
pedophilia
Pedophilia is the desire or need to have sexual relations with one or more pre-pubescent minors, generally under 13 years of age. It can also refer to habitual sexual impulses or fantasies with children that have not necessarily been fulfilled. It ranges from commercially acquired child pornography to sexual abuse itself.
This type of paraphilia constitutes a serious crime, since the boy or girl is not aware of what is happening and has no power to decide to access the sexual act because there is an inequality of power between the adult and the minor.
Gerontophilia
Gerontophilia is another type of rare paraphilia that refers to the sexual desire or preference for older people or whose age is noticeably older than that of the person who practices it. If sexual attraction occurs towards elderly men it is known as alphamegamy, while when it occurs towards elderly women it is known as matronolagnia.
Zoophilia
We continue with more types of paraphilias. One that, although not much flaunted, is usually common in certain contexts is zoophilia. This refers to the desire to have sexual relations with animals, which can remain a fantasy or become reality. These types of paraphilias are part of the category diagnosed with other specified paraphilic disorders.
Necrophilia
Specifically, necrophilia is the sexual desire or preference for human or animal corpses. It is a pathological behavior that constitutes a crime. This type of paraphilias is part of the category diagnoses other specified paraphilic disorders. In this article, you will find information about what the .
Coercive paraphilic disorder
Coercive paraphilic disorder refers to the sexual desire or pleasure that a person experiences when imagine or make a couple or individual have sexual relations by force and without them wanting it. This fact constitutes a serious crime and sexual abuse. This type of paraphilias is part of the category diagnoses other specified paraphilic disorders.
Fetishism
Fetishism is a set of behaviors, fantasies and behaviors in which sexual desire derives only from the use of inanimate objects or non-genital body parts. Some of the most common are podophilia, pleasure for the feet, and retifism, pleasure for the shoes.
Everything that is done with the object and generates sexual pleasure is considered fetishism. It fits into this category, in the case of an object, stealing it and masturbating with it or simply looking at it.
Transvestism
If we talk about types of paraphilias, one of the best known is transvestism, that is, sexual excitement, intense and recurring feeling that some people feel when dressing or imagining dresses of another gender. Most people do it while alone, but there are certain types of people who get more excited when they show themselves like this in public.
Urophilia and coprophilia
Urophilia and coprophilia are the sexual desire to eat or be wet and soiled with urine or excrement respectively. In these types of cases, the simple act of touching, hearing or seeing someone urinate or excrete can be a source of sexual gratification. On the other hand, if the person is excited by the idea of urinating or defecating on his or her partner, we speak of salerophilia..
Infantilism
Infantilism is the sexual satisfaction that a person experiences when being treated like a baby. This paraphilia entails a type of representation that includes elements such as fetishes, that is, diapers, bottles, pacifiers, even cribs or adaptations of places are used. This type of paraphilias is also part of whatyes other specified paraphilic disorders.
Asphyxiophilia
Asphyxiophilia is the sexual satisfaction that a person experiences by intentionally restricting their breathing or that of their partner, generating suffocation. Although it is a practice consented to by the couple, it is an extremely dangerous paraphilia, since it can lead to accidental death due to hypoxia.. This type of paraphilias is also part of whatyes other specified paraphilic disorders.
In this article, you will find information about .
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Sánchez N. López R, Domínguez-Muñoz A. (2018) Paraphilias: A comparative review from the DSM IV and the ICD-10. Behavior and Law Journal
- American psychiatric association (2018) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM v.