Exhibitionism

exhibitionism-hammock-coupleExhibitionism is a sexual fetish in which a person feels a compulsive desire to expose his or her genitals, breasts, or buttocks to strangers. It is classified into two sub-classes:

  1. Non-Threatening Exhibitionism – Non-threatening exhibitionism occurs when someone exposes him or herself as part of a group or to have fun. A woman flashing her breasts at Mardi Gras is an example of non-threatening exhibitionism.
  2. Threatening Exhibitionism – A form of predatory sexual behavior in which a person exposes his or her genitals to shock or horrify people. For example, a man who exposes his penis to a stranger on the subway is exhibiting threatening exhibitionism.

Colloquial Use of the Term “Exhibitionism”
While exhibitionism is a sexual paraphilia, the term is more commonly used to denote anyone who enjoys being watched in a sexual context. A porn star might claim to be an exhibitionist. This variety of exhibitionism can be classified as a fetish if the person can only get sexual enjoyment through exhibitionistic behavior and if the behavior interferes with his or her daily life or threatens the well-being of others. Thus, someone who could only enjoy sex in public and who had repeatedly been arrested for having sex in public places may be characterized as having a sexual fetish.

Types of Exhibitionism
Some mental health professionals break exhibitionism down into distinct types. These include:

  • Anasyrma – Lifting one’s skirt while not wearing underwear.
  • Candaulism – Exposing a sexual partner in a sexual context; for example, a man lifting up his wife’s shirt to expose her breasts.
  • Martymachlia – Enjoying being watched in sexual acts by other people. This is the form of exhibitionism most commonly referred to in popular culture and colloquial use.
  • Telephone Scatologia – Making obscene phone calls to people who do not want and did not solicit the call.

References:

  1. Colman, A. M. (2006). Oxford dictionary of psychology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
  2. Fundukian, L. J., & Wilson, J. (2008). The Gale encyclopedia of mental health. Detroit, MI. Thomson Gale.

Last Updated: 08-21-2015