Topic Entry #2: Courtship Disorder Hypothesis

Courtship Disorder: is a theoretical construct in sexology in which a certain set of paraphilias are seen as specific instances of anomalous courtship instincts in men

"The paraphilias can be broadly divided into two categories, those involving anomalous target preferences and those involving anomalous activity preferences."
excerpt from "Preferential rape in the theory of courtship disorder." by Kurt Freund

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courtship_disorder

The courtship disorder hypothesis originated from the psychologist Kurt Freund who broke down natural courtship into four phases.
1. Searching and analyzing potential sex parnters
2. Initiating conversation and potential flirtation
3. Slight physical interaction such as touching shoulder or hugging
4. Sexual intercourse
Freund hypothesized that paraphilias result from a disturbance in one of the phases. People with paraphilic conditions intensify one of the four phases and view the other three as minimal concern or as obsolete. The heightened first phase manifests as voyeurism; the subject focuses solely on arousal from watching others whereas others would watch in order to pick a suitable mate. The second phase becomes exhibitionism or telephone scatologia, obscene phone calls. These subjects blow past the conversational norm by flashing genitals or making lewd phone calls to strangers about their own sexual desires. The third phase evolves into frotteurism or toucherism, which are a sexual arousal from rubbing genitals on another fully clothed person. The fourth phase forms into biastophilia, which is categorized as paraphilic rape. The people suffering from these habits take social norms to different extremes that are overly forward and in many ways dangerous and detrimental to others. Freund believes that all of these conditions stem from one underlying disorder that connects all four. By determining the parent condition, psychologists will gain more understanding of these issues and perhaps discover their cause. With knowledge of a cause, preventative and potentially curative methods may be developed. This would eliminate dangers to non-consenting parties.