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BDSM Dictionary : Paraphilia: history
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{{Wikipedia|Paraphilia}}
Paraphilia (in Greek 'para' παρά = beside and
'philia' φιλία = love) is a mental health
term recently used to indicate sexual
arousal in response to sexual objects or situations that are not
part of societally normative arousal/activity patterns, or which may
interfere with the capacity for reciprocal affectionate sexual activity.Definition
The word is used differently by different groups. Used in psychology
or sexology, it is a neutral umbrella term used to cover a wide
variety of non-typical sexual interests such as:
exhibitionism and
voyeurism which (within moderation) are
actually felt to be a healthy component of an active sex life for many
people, transvestic fetishism,
fetishism, urolagnia
(water sports), or unusual partners (such as amputees), which are
essentially felt to be harmless and clinically acceptable in the West
(though possibly still a matter preferred kept private), provided the
person is not reporting experiencing dysfunction or mental suffering,
and nobody is getting hurt,
Sexual sadism which can be either
harmless and mutual, or harmful or dangerous, depending on limits and
consensuality, and
Pedophilia, which is universally taboo in
Western societies and prosecuted by the law.
A paraphilic interest is not normally considered important by clinicians
unless it is "also" causing suffering of some kind, or strongly
inhibiting a "normal" sex life (according to the subjective standards of
the culture and times).
Paraphilia is sometimes used by laypeople in a more judgemental or prejudicial sense, to categorize sexual desires or activities lying well outside the societal norm. Many sexual activities now considered harmless or even beneficial (such as masturbation) have often been considered perversions or psychosexual disorders in various societies, and how to regard these behaviors has at times been a controversial matter.
The term "paraphilia" is rarely used in general English, reference to the actual interest being more common. Some see the term as <u>helping aid objectivity</u> when discussing taboo behaviors or those meeting public disapproval, but which may not in fact be a problem. Others interpret the term more perjoratively as <u>rare conditions or serious disorders</u> that meet with societal disapproval and are (or should be) criminalized or seriously require treatment.
It is worth noting typical clinical warnings given against improper
assumptions about paraphilias:
""Paraphilias are ... sexual fantasies, urges and behaviors that are
considered deviant with respect to cultural norms...""
""Although several of these disorders can be associated with
aggression or harm, others are neither inherently violent nor aggressive""
""The boundary for social as well as sexual deviance is largely
determined by cultural and historical context. As such, sexual disorders
once considered paraphilias (e.g., homosexuality) are now regarded as
variants of normal sexuality; so too, sexual behaviors currently
considered normal (e.g., masturbation) were once culturally proscribed""
Source: Psychiatric
Times)
What is considered to be "perversion" or "deviation" varies from society to society. Some paraphilias fall into the kinds of activities often called 'sexual perversions' or 'sexual deviancy' with negative connotations or 'kinky sex' with more positive connotations. Some specific paraphilias have been or are currently crimes in some jurisdictions. In some religions certain sexual interests are forbidden, and this has led to some people believing that all paraphilias must be sins. Since the development of psychology attempts have been made to characterize them in terms of their etiology and in terms of the ways they change the functioning of individuals in social situations. Some behaviors that might be classified as paraphilias by some subsets of society may be viewed as harmless eccentricities by other subsets of society, or entirely normal behavior within other societies.
Due to the somewhat subjective nature of their definition, the specific
acts included under the umbrella of "paraphilia" vary from time to time
and from place to place, and indeed from edition to edition of such
works as the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders"
(DSM).Behavioral imprinting
Observation of paraphiliac behavior has provided valuable scientific
information on the mechanisms of sexual
attraction and desire, such as
behavioral imprinting. Careful investigation has also led to the
tentative conclusions that normal biological processes may sometimes be
manifested in idiosyncratic ways in at least some of the paraphilias,
and that these unusual manifestations are frequently associated with
unusual (and especially traumatic) events associated with early sexual
experience.History of the term
The term was coined by Viennese psychotherapist Wilhelm Stekel (in his
book "Sexual Aberrations") in 1925, from the Greek "para-" (beside) +
"philos" (loving), and first used in English in Stekel's translated
works. It was not in widespread use until the 1950s, and was first used
in the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders"
(DSM) in 1980. It was used by Sigmund
Freud, as well as by the sexologist John Money.Common paraphilias
The following paraphilias are sufficiently common in the general population to be frequently observed in clinical literature, as well as being able to support entire sub-genres of mainstream commercial pornography.
Homosexuality was previously listed as a paraphilia in the DSM-I and DSM-II, but this has been rejected from the DSM-III and DSM-IV, consistent with the change of attitude among psychiatrists that homosexuality is no longer considered a disorder. Likewise Zoophilia was clinically re-evaluated between DSM-III and DSM-IV. As of 2004, Transvestic Fetishism was still listed as a paraphilia in the DSM-IV-TR.
Note that "non-consensual" sadomasochistic acts may consititute assault, and therefore belong in the list below. Some jurisdictions criminalize some or all sadomasochistic acts, regardless of consent.
"Non-consensual" exhibitionism in public places, where people who have
not previously consented to watch are exposed to sexual display, is also
an offense in most jurisdictions. (See indecent exposure).Non-consensual and criminal paraphilias
The paraphilias listed below are either non-consensual or, if acted out, criminal in most jurisdictions.
The paraphilias listed below are less common.
There are also many other rare paraphilias.
The supposed paraphilia of
autogynephilia, or sexual
pleasure from perceiving oneself as a woman, has been proposed as a
motivation for transgender behaviour, but is
generally regarded as theoretical in nature. It is not well accepted.Controversy
The definition of various sexual practices as paraphilias has been met
with opposition. Advocates for changing these definitions stress that,
aside from "paraphilias" with a criminal element, there is nothing
inherently pathological about these practices; they are undeserving of
the stigmatism associated with being "singled out" as such. Those who
profess such a view hope that, much as with the removal of
homosexuality from the DSM ("see"
homosexuality and psychology), future psychiatric definitions will not
include most of these practices.Religious views of paraphilia
Some religious conservatives view various paraphilias as deviations from
their conception of God's original plan for human sexuality, or from
their religious laws. Depending in part on the nature of the paraphilia
in question, judgements can differ as to whether religiously it should
be considered a case of sexual sin, or of mental illness.External links
(This entry in the BDSM Dictionary incorporates text from the Paraphilia article in Wipipedia.)
This entry is published under the terms of the GFDL. People with profiles on Informed Consent can improve this entry: see the BDSM Dictionary help page for details.
