Frotteurism Case

Abstract Summary

Frotteurism is where an individual rubs their genitals against a person, referred to as the victim, in a crowded public place where escape can be achieved rapidly. Women are usually the victim in the act. Frotteurism is considered a form of paraphilia. This is considered a criminal act. The frotteur is usually taken into custody and encouraged to seek help by a court order. Treatment options include psychotherapy and behavior therapy. Males between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five are the ones who engage in frottage. After the age of twenty-five the act gradually decreases. In many cases it is the male who commits the act, but it is not uncommon for a female to engage in frotteurism. Many do not seek help with the disorder; they see nothing wrong with what they are doing. They believe they are in a loving, caring relationship with their chosen victim until they feel panicked and feel a need to rapidly run away.  

Frotteurism

Many individuals appreciate their own space. They have a bubble, or their personal space, that they do not like for anyone to invade. If a frotteur were to go up to an individual in public, they would definitely have a conflict. For someone to come up to a person and rub their genitals on them would create many problems. People do not encourage inappropriate touching while in a public place. Frotteurs have an uncontrollable urge to touch individuals inappropriately while in public. They are encouraged to seek therapy for these urges, but many do not come to the realization that they have this disorder. This is considered illegal and they can be prosecuted and made to go to court over this matter.

Frotteurism is a form of an impulse control disorder and is also classified as paraphilia. An individual with frotteurism is often called a frotteur (Fleming, 2011). Frotteurism is where a person rubs their genitals against another individual, usually in a crowded area (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Some frotteurs will grope the victim’s genitals or breast. The individual being rubbed is the victim. While the person is rubbing their genitals on the victim they often fantasize about being in a loving, caring relationship with that individual. To avoid prosecution they often run away from the victim. A frotteur will perform these actions where they can escape rapidly such as on a busy sidewalk or while traveling on public transportation (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).

Many studies show that males between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five usually engage in frotteurism and they often target female victims. Males are the ones who engage in frottage more frequently. Recent studies show that females also participate in forms of paraphilia, frotteurism being one of them. “Such disorders among women are underreported because forensic criteria are biased against females” (Arnold, 1999). People