Historical Deviant Sexual Behaviors - Essay Example

Historical Deviant Sexual Behaviors Society is governed by some sets of mores, rules and regulations which protect the safety of citizens and also help in the maintenance of order. Those who do not abide by such set rules and regulations would therefore be said to be deviant. Deviance refers to a violation of the rules or norms of behavior (Clinard & Meier, 2011). Therefore, sexual deviance refers to a violation of the cultural norms with regards to sex and sexuality. According to McCann, Minichiello and Plummer (2009), different societies would have different sexual standards which would also not be agreed upon by every member of the society. The criteria for adopting such rules and regulations would be because they were set by the society, they are observed by the majority in the society, they are dictated by religious principles and they are in line with the norms of individual groupings, thus cultural, statistical, religious and subjective standards respectively. Historical Deviant Sexual Behaviors Historically, Americans have numerous sexual behaviors considered as deviant. Nuisance sex behaviors According to Holmes and Holmes (2002), nuisance sex behaviors refer to the sexual acts which have no obvious physical harm to the victim or practitioner. These include fetishes and partialisms. Scoptophilia, otherwise referred to as voyeurism, refers to sexual arousal through looking at intimate or private scenes. It is considered by McAnulty and Burnette (2006) as an allurement paraphilia, paraphilia being an erotosexual condition that a person recurrently responds to and obsessively depends on, unacceptable or unusual fantasy, stimulus or perception. Voyeurs would mostly not have serious criminal records as they do not molest. However, this behavior has been acknowledged as the foundation of serious sex crimes. Prostitution refers to exchanging sexual favors for monetary gain. According to the World Health Organization, WHO (2005), Streetwalker is the common type of prostitute though they could also exist as professional call girls and prostitutes working in strip clubs or bars. They could either be males or females. Whereas prostitution could have easy and rewarding economic returns, the behavior exposes one to client violence and infections, including sexually transmitted diseases and other forms of infections. Triolism,a paraphilia, is a sexual pattern where erotic stimulation would be gained by watching others or oneself in sexual scenes. Fowler (2012) links this behavior to child pornography, luring children into the act by being offered drugs, money or other items by triolists. Transvestism is a behavior where a typical heterosexual male, usually married, initially dresses in female clothing for sexual reasons. The transvestite would cross-dress later to reduce stress. Thus, cross-dressing for a transvestite would help temporarily reduce stress. Such persons rarely have criminal records relate to sex as they mostly happen in private. Some adults could be interested in sexual play activities where they pretend to be infants. The practitioner could wear diapers or baby clothes during sexual encounters. This is referred to as infantilism. Holmes and Holmes (2002) associate this sexual behavior with stress reduction for the practitioner. Bestiality is a common form of deviant sexual behavior where the practitioner has sex with an animal. This could occur in either sexes and could involve contact or no contact. It is considered as a criminal offence in most countries. Holmes and Holmes (2002) associate this behavior with serial killing tendencies. It is also associated with cruelty to animals and leads to later sexual problems. Pygmalionism, also known as agalmatophilia, refers to sexual attraction to a mannequin, statue or a doll (Holmes & Holmes, 2002). Pygmalionists are people who are unable to sexually or personally relate to others for a reason or another. Finally, gerentophilia refers to using elderly people as sexual objects. Gerontosexuality could result when a young man assaults elderly women. This could lead to violence, rape and commonly, murder. Incest Incest is defined by Clinard and Meier (2011) as having heterosexual relations with own family members. The most common form of incest is that of parents abusing their own children. Incest causes problems of the affected members relating to one another. It has been noted to propagate delinquency among the children. Furthermore, incest damages the child’s self perception. Pedophilia Pedophilia is considered as obscene and despicable in most societies. Holmes and Holmes (2002) define it as a fondness for prepubescent children; a form of unnatural desire for sexual engagement with children. Pedophiliacs show no sexual interest in mature adults. This behavior psychologically affects children causing them to be anxious and could eventually negatively impact on their interpersonal relationships. Pornography Pornography, be it child or adult pornography, is a historical sexually deviant behavior. Pornography would be used to create and amplify sexual fantasies especially when self-initiated, say by purchasing videos or magazines. The major concern with pornography in the society is the fact that it promotes sexual misbehavior and encourages fantasized behavior, mostly deviant, among viewers. Williams, Cooper, Howell, Yuille and Paulhus (2009) observe that exposure to pornography encourages aggression and rape among men. Thus, pornography affects both behavior and fantasies. Rape According to Holmes and Holmes (2002), rape is forced sexual intercourse with a male or female victim, where the offender and the victim could be of the same or different sex. Therefore, consent plays a critical role in determining the deviance or criminality of sex. Rape normally causes physiological harm on the victim due to the accompanying force. Thereafter, it could cause negative psychological effect, affecting future relationships of the victim. Impact of Deviant Sexual Behaviors A number of these deviant sexual behaviors do not cause harm on the victim but are rather just a source of nuisance. Even so, deviant sexual behaviors have been associated with negative impact on the health status, psychological functioning and interpersonal functioning of victims (McAnulty & Burnette, 2006). Behaviors such as prostitution risk the transmission of sexually transmitted diseases and other infections (WHO, 2005). The affected victims could be affected psychologically, causing anxiety and fears. The victims could also find it difficult to relate with other people, especially those resembling their perpetrators. It has also been observed that some deviant sexual behaviors propagate deviant behaviors and fantasies. Williams et al. (2009) give the example of pornography which promotes aggression and rape tendencies among men. Such tendencies lead to sex crimes which could lead to prosecution in a court of law. A majority of these acts are also criminal in various countries and could as such land the perpetrators to jail. Even though largely considered to be negative, these behaviors could also deter perpetrators from engaging in harmful crimes. Specifically, nuisance sexual behaviors with no harm to the victim give the perpetrators satisfaction without resorting to alternative harmful behaviors (Mahmut, Homewood, & Stevenson, 2008). Holmes and Holmes (2002) also observe that some of these behaviors, including transvestism and infantilism, help in reducing stress for the practitioner which propagates healthy living. Theories of Homosexuality Social theory From the philosophical social constructionist perspective, sexuality depends on behaviors and attitudes. One’s sexual identity, which is far much greater than the object of erotic attraction, is created, bestowed and maintained socially. Sexual behaviors and roles are a product of the moral, religious and ethical beliefs in a culture. Heterosexuals are so because of their behaviors and attitudes towards people of the opposite sex. On the other hand, these sexual behaviors and attitudes would be directed towards members of the same sex among homosexuals (Clinard & Meier, 2011). Thus, social constructionists argue against anything real with sexual orientation other than the society’s construction. Psychoanalytical theory Sigmund Freud provided a new approach to understanding abnormal adult behavior through his psychoanalytic theory. This theory appreciated that behavior is not meaningless or random but rather goal-directed. Homosexuality would thus be considered as a sexual function variation resulting from a particular sexual development arrest (McAnulty & Burnette, 2006). Thus, defining the purpose behind the abnormal behavior would help in understanding the psychological causes of homosexuality. It differs from the social theory in that it stresses on the role the dynamics of families and parents as opposed to the society as a whole. Planophysical theory This theory considers homosexuality as an error of nature. This follows the Freudian postulate and further supports the fact that homosexuality results from unresolved Oedipus complex. McAnulty and Burnette (2006) give an example of a strong mother and weak father with unresolved Oedipus complex which will result in a weak, then homosexual son. However, psychologists observe that the result would be a stronger son trying to compensate for the father’s weakness. Unlike the other theories, planophysical theory of homosexuality fails to show the cause, only giving the result. Biological theory Biologists evidence genetic, anatomical and endocrine factors supporting homosexuality. Giamanco (2012) supports this theory with findings from a research at the State University of New York which indicated that people exhibiting homosexual tendencies would have higher estrogen levels. Low testosterone levels also push men to be homosexuals. Studies at the Netherlands Institute for Bran Research also document that homosexual men tend to have larger suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and anterior commissure (AC) as contrasted to their heterosexual counterparts. These innate two parts of the brain control sexual function and drive. Homophobia Homosexuals continue to receive negative attitude from the society even as their acceptance into the society rises. Sociologists define homophobia as a belief system which tolerates negative myths and stereotypes on homosexuals or any negative attitudes arising from dislike or fear of homosexuality (McCann et al., 2009). This could be directed at homosexual behaviors, people with bisexual or homosexual orientation, gay, lesbian and bisexual, GLB communities or their children. Studies support the fact that homophobia leads to an increase of various risk factors associated with psychosocial, psychological, social, psychiatric and health problems. These include high rates of depression, loneliness, substance abuse, anxiety and various forms of psychological distress (McCann et al., 2009). According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC (2011), homophobia causes 8.4, 5.9 and 3.4 times more likelihood of committing suicide, depression and using illegal drugs among the GLB community. It is thus a major health hazard to the GLB community. Such people would be rejected by families and friends leading to violence that could harm individuals and the society at large. Socio-cultural Impact on Definition of Sexual Behaviors as Deviant As observed by Clinard and Meier (2011), sexual behavior is a socio-cultural construction. In most African countries, socio-cultural norms cause adolescents to engage in unsafe sexual behaviors. At their adolescence, these young Africans would be taken through rites of passage where they would be ushered into adulthood and sexuality by extension. With a majority of these cultures teaching men that they are the superior gender as recognized by William et al. (2009), they would feel that they have a right for sex from any woman. This could lead to rape tendencies. In the West, the culture of segregation in many institutions promotes deviant sexual behaviors. Separating the men from the women particularly in learning and religious institutions such as found in mosques arouses curiosity on what the opposite divide has. Without experience on how to interact with the opposite group, this would promote deviant sexual behaviors such as rape. Moreover, putting people of the same sex together could promote deviant sexual behaviors as they find ways to fulfill their sexual urges (Fowler, 2012). Thus, behaviors such as bestiality and scoptophilia could be direct consequences. Globally, men have always dominated over women. It is only lately that democracy has infiltrated into nations that equality seems to be observed. This domination of men extends to various other aspects of life such as household leadership, politics, corporate organization leadership and even religious leadership (Clinard & Meier, 2011). This makes man have control over the woman and would thus commit any act on her as desired, including deviant sexual behaviors such as rape, incest and pornography. This postulate could be extended to pedophilia where children are considered as dependent beings and should thus obey the elderly, including abiding by their sexual demands, no matter how deviant. In most societies across the world, women have been charged with the role of taking care of the children (McAnulty & Burnette, 2006). This societal role could propagate deviant sexual behavior. Specifically, when a woman lacks the ability to provide for her children, she would resort to whatever activity to meet this need, including engagement in prostitution and pornography. Religious principles and teachings also contribute to deviance in sexual behaviors. The need for people to abstain from sex until marriage among Christians and Jews among other religions could promote unacceptable sexual behaviors (Fowler, 2012). With people having sexual desires and urges, they would resort to avenues that have not been expressly prohibited by the religion. Such persons could engage in pygmalionism or bestiality among other deviant sexual behaviors. Therefore, deviance is a construction of the socio-cultural principles. Going against the rules and regulations dictating normal sexual behavior would result in deviant sexual behavior. Such behaviors could be attributed to social influence, biological construction, psychoanalytic factors and planophysical misgivings. Deviant sexual behaviors negatively impact on the health status, psychological functioning and interpersonal functioning of the people involved. On the other hand, such behaviors help reduce stress among the perpetrators and thus deter them from committing outright criminal activities. Whatever would be considered as deviant sexual behavior remains a reserve of the socio-cultural dictates of a society. References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011, March 3). Gay and bisexual men’s health. Retrieved 31 January 2014 from http://www.cdc.gov/msmhealth/stigma-and-discrimination.htm Clinard, M. & Meier, R. (2011). Sociology of deviant behavior (14th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Fowler, D. (2012, October 17). Study: Religious affiliation and residence in Muslim-majority nations influence sexual behavior. American Sociological Association. Retrieved 31 January 2014 from http://www.asanet.org/press/muslim_majority_nations_sexual_behavior.cfm Giamanco, K. (2012, July 19). Homosexuality: Born or made? Retrieved 30 January 2014 from http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/ Holmes, S. T. & Holmes, R. M. (2002). Sex crimes: Patterns and behavior (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage. Mahmut, M. K., Homewood, J. & Stevenson, R. J. (2008). The characteristics of non-criminals with high psychopathy traits: Are they similar to criminal psychopaths. Journal of Research in Personality, 42 (2), 679 – 692. McAnulty, R. D. & Burnette, M. M. (Eds.). (2006). Sex and sexuality: Sexual deviation and sexual offenses. Westport, CT: Praeger. McCann, P. D., Minichiello, V. & Plummer, D. (2009). Is homophobia inevitable? Evidence that explores the constructed nature of homophobia, and the techniques through which men unlearn it. Journal of Sociology, 45 (2), 201 – 220. Williams, K. M., Cooper, B. S., Howell, T. M., Yuille, J. C. & Paulhus, D. L. (2009). Inferring sexually deviant behavior from corresponding fantasies: The role of personality and pornography consumption. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 36 (2), 198 – 222. World Health Organization. (2005). Alcohol use and sexual risk behavior: A cross-cultural study in eight countries. Geneva: WHO Press. Retrieved 31 January 2014 from http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/publications/alcohol_sexual_risk_crosscultural.pdf Read More