Forensic sexology: paraphilic serial rape (biastophilia) and lust murder (erotophonophilia)
Article Abstract:
Forensic sexology is a specialty that focuses upon the sexual aspects of paraphiliac criminality. Paraphilia, a sexual disorder that involves arousal responses to situations or objects that are not a part of normal sexual arousal patterns, encompasses eight disorders and are described in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition, revised. Sexual sadism is one of these eight paraphilias and includes paraphiliac rape (raptophilia or biastophilia) and lust murder (erotophonophilia). Characteristic symptoms of sexual sadism include sexual thoughts or fantasies that are obsessive and compelling and involve acts that center on the physical suffering of a victim. The victim may be a masochist who consents to the activity, or an unwilling victim who has been abducted. The sadist is sexually aroused by violent thoughts, which may become actions, including torturing by whipping, burning, cutting, mutilating, raping or killing; often the victim is physically restrained or blindfolded and gagged. The general public and the judicial system lag behind medical science in the area of paraphilias and have not accepted sexual sadism as a brain disease. No serious attention has been given to prevention of the development of this disorder, a fact that is reflected by the general demand for death sentences for these individuals, rather than analysis or treatment. Sexual sadism is a disease that originates in an area of the brain called the limbic system, which is responsible for sexual arousal and mating behavior; this area is also responsible for predation and attack responses. Sexual sadism occurs when these two areas are activated at the same time and sexual arousal and attack messages are incorrectly transmitted simultaneously. This malfunction is episodic, as in epilepsy, and some patients may in fact have both conditions. Cases of head injury sustained in childhood have been identified as one cause of this disorder. Aside from the brain disorder, there are contributory causes in the development of this paraphilia, such as hereditary predisposition, hormonal functioning, pathological relationships, and sexual abuse, or symptoms of other syndromes may overlap to induce this condition. A better understanding and recognition of this disorder is needed by the judicial system and the general public. Many paraphiliac sexual offenders are mistakenly represented as sociopaths or psychopaths, which may not be the case. The death penalty has not proven to be a deterrent and more attention is needed in research if this behavior is to be prevented. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: American Journal of Psychotherapy
Subject: Psychology and mental health
ISSN: 0002-9564
Year: 1990
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Self-cutting after rape
Article Abstract:
The trauma of rape breeds short- and long-term psychological distress with many manifestations. 'Self-cutting' was a major symptom of three women who had been raped and were being treated in a psychiatric unit. Self-cutting is the act of cutting the surface of the skin, usually at the wrist or forearm, causing bleeding. This symptom was not immediately associated with a history of sexual assault and may be generally underreported. Obtaining sexual histories is not routine in all psychiatric interviews, and sexual abuse information is often withheld. Only after full histories were taken was this symptom attributed to a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that began after the rape. Two of the women had no history of incest, child abuse, depression or personality disorder. One woman had a history of incest and had been previously diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder. This self-cutting behavior may be viewed as an act of aggression after trauma, self-destructive behavior as a result of suppressed rage, or an attempt to master intense feelings. Two women said it provided a release from extreme tension. One woman expressed a wish to die to relieve her painful feelings. The authors suggest the routine inclusion of questions concerning a history of rape and incest as part of initial psychiatric evaluations. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: American Journal of Psychiatry
Subject: Psychology and mental health
ISSN: 0002-953X
Year: 1989
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