The plethora of sex tapes depicting well-known persons in flagrante delicto speaks to a latent tendency of many individuals to see others' erotic pursuits.

This phenomenon, called non-consensual voyeurism, has caused great disquiet among the victims and serious ethical and moral issues have been raised.

What is voyeurism?

This is defined as 'a paraphilia characterised by repetitive looking at unsuspecting people, usually strangers, who are either naked, in the act of disrobing, or engaging in sexual activity, as the method for achieving sexual excitement'.

The word is derived from the French verb voir (to see). A voyeur is also known as a peeping Tom, a name given to the fictional character who, after warnings not to do so at the pain of death, spied on the naked Lady Godiva as she rode through the town clad only in her long hair to protest against the unreasonable taxes levied by her husband on the citizens.

practices

Voyeuristic practices may take many forms but the prototypical feature is that the voyeur does not directly interact with the object of their voyeurism - who is often unaware that they are being observed. Instead, they observe the act from a distance by peeping through an opening or using aids such as cameras (camera phones and video cameras), mirrors, binoculars, etc. This stimulus often becomes part of a masturbation fantasy during or after observing the event.

What distinguishes voyeurism from mixoscopia - pleasure from watching others have sex - is that the individuals being watched are unaware of the voyeur and the thrill which the voyeur experiences is enhanced by the fear of being caught.

A true voyeur

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, two criteria are required to make a diagnosis of voyeurism:

Over a period of at least six months, an individual must experience recurrent, intense, sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges or behaviours that involve the act of observing an unsuspecting person who is naked, in the process of disrobing, or engaging in sexual activity.

The fantasies, sexual urges or behaviours must cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other important areas of functioning.

Please note that unless you actively seek out these experiences, you are not a true voyeur.

Video voyeurism

Video voyeurism is now a worldwide phenomenon and in many countries, it is considered to be a deviant act and even a sex crime.

In the United Kingdom, non-consensual voyeurism became a criminal offence on May 1, 2004, under Section 67 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. In Canada, voyeurism was declared a sexual offence on November 1, 2005. In the United States, video voyeurism is criminalised in nine states and some institutions, such as gyms and schools, have banned camera phones because of the privacy issues they raise in areas like change rooms and locker rooms. Saudi Arabia banned the sale of camera phones nationwide for a period, but revoked the ban in 2004. South Korea requires that all camera phones sold in the country make an audible sound whenever a picture is taken.

Voyeurism is more common in men, but does occasionally occur in women. The onset is usually before the age of 15. Regretfully, there are no reliable statistics regarding the incidence of voyeurism in adulthood.

In many instances, the individual may become so enamoured with the voyeuristic activity that he fails to get involved in stable relationships.

Causes

The actual cause of voyeurism is unknown but most experts attribute the behaviour to a random or accidental observation of an unsuspecting person who is naked, in the process of disrobing, or engaging in sexual activity. We do know that successive repetitions of the act tend to reinforce and perpetuate the voyeuristic behaviour.

Treatment

For treatment to be successful, voyeurs must want to change their behaviour. However, many are unwilling to do so and often have to be forced by court order. The treatment offered is psycho, cognitive, behavioural and group therapy. There are no known drug treatments for voyeurism.

The prognosis for eliminating voyeurism is poor because most voyeurs have no desire to change their pattern of behaviour. Since voyeurism involves non-consenting partners and is against the law in many jurisdictions, the possibility of embarrassment and imprisonment may deter some individuals.

Protection

We must be vigilant in our daily lives to preserve our privacy and sequester ourselves from the lustful eyes of voyeurs. Legislation must be urgently put in place to curtail the activities of voyeurs and we, as citizens, must put systems in place to protect ourselves by ensuring that all activities which we deem to be private are indeed done in private.

Dr Alverston Bailey is a medical doctor and immediate past president of the Medical Association of Jamaica. Send comments and questions to: editor@gleanerjm.com or fax 922-6223.

Sources:

Encyclopaedia of Mental Disorders

Answers.Com