Urged to bare – condemned to penance: what drives exhibitionists? – News

In Aargau there was recently another penalty order for exhibitionism. An expert tells you how to react.

There are around 500 convictions for exhibitionism each year in Switzerland. In Aargau, a man was recently convicted of exhibitionism. It is a typical case, explains the well-known forensic psychiatrist Josef Sachs. He knows how a victim should react.

An exhibitionist is defined as someone who shows their sexual organs against the will of others for a sexual motive. In the current case, a 35-year-old man stopped his car in a community in Aargau and asked a woman for directions. As she began to explain, he undid his pants and began sexually masturbating. The man had to pay a fine of 400 francs.

The aim of the exhibitionists is to frighten the victims.

Forensic psychiatrist Josef Sachs explains that several things are typical of this case: exhibitionists are mostly younger men who constantly feel the need to expose themselves to strangers. «The aim of the exhibitionists is to frighten the victims or to make them feel disgusted. What they are definitely not looking for is personal contact with the victims. That’s why there are usually no physical attacks,” says Sachs.

Sick or not?

Not everyone who engages in exhibitionist acts is sick. There are people who feel such an action as a spontaneous need, which is not considered an illness, according to psychiatrist Josef Sachs. But as soon as it is carried out compulsively over a longer period of time, it is considered an illness, a disturbance of sexual preference.

As soon as the disorder becomes chronic, a person affected must undergo therapy. So say the law. However, not every exposure in front of others is exhibitionism. Lying in the sun topless in the outdoor pool or hiking naked is not one of them. “The sexual motive is missing in both cases,” says psychiatrist Josef Sachs.

Smile instead of disgust

For exhibitionists, it is startle that leads to sexual arousal. “If the victim is neutral, not frightened, not disgusted, then that doesn’t arouse the exhibitionists. They don’t reach their destination», explains Josef Sachs.

Nevertheless, it is not easy to give advice to possible victims, because the actions of the exhibitionist usually come as a surprise. “It would be ideal if you didn’t show any fear or disgust, but smiled and walked away or laughed at people.”

Mostly men

Research shows that around two percent of all men suffer from exhibitionism disorder. In Switzerland alone, there are around 500 to 600 criminal complaints for exhibitionism each year. “The number has remained constant over the years,” says Josef Sachs.

For the most part, exhibitionists are men, not women. However, one has to consider that sexual offenses committed by women are less well researched, psychiatrist Josef Sachs points out. In addition, it could be that exhibitionism is more tolerated in women. Nevertheless, one can speak mostly of men.

The number of penal orders for exhibitionism is nationally stable, but varies from canton to canton. In 2019, for example, the canton of Zurich reported a record number of ads about it. An increase of over 20 percent, a total of 173 cases. At the time, the canton police suspected that more cases were being reported than in previous years.