Voyeurism
From Encyclopedia of Sex and Sexuality
Voyeurism (also known medically as scopophilia) comes from the French verb, voir, meaning “to see.” It describes a man or woman who looks at a member of the opposite sex (although voyeurs can also be gay or lesbian) in a state of undress, when he or she is not supposed to. A person who enjoys watching strippers or nude performers in a movie is not considered a voyeur; the voyeur obtains his or her primary arousal in looking at a woman or man without her or his knowledge or permission. To some extent, voyeurism is a form of compulsive behavior. The voyeur feels driven, periodically, to seek out situations in which he may, unobtrusively and without consent, observe another person getting dressed or undressed or engaging in a sexual activity. The sexual satisfaction achieved by the voyeur may extend to masturbation, although this is not always the case. Voyeurs may have conventional sex lives but still obtain great satisfaction from their clandestine activities. While most voyeurs look but do not touch, some have assaulted the people spied upon. Because of this, law enforcement personnel view voyeurism as a serious crime.
Voyeurs are found in all age categories from childhood on, although most seem to outgrow the practice in middle age. In most cases in our society, voyeurs are male heterosexuals—the ratio of male to female voyeurs is about nine to one. There is no reason for this discrepancy other than, possibly, the socially learned belief that only the female body is a desirable sex object and is “forbidden fruit” to viewing by strangers.
