Voyeurism is a recurring or persistent preference for observing the sexual activities or intimate behaviors of others, such as undressing, as a means of achieving sexual arousal. The prevalence of this condition is unknown, and it is typically found in males, most commonly between the ages of 20 and 40.

bubble_chart Etiology

The exact cause of this disease remains unclear. It is not uncommon for young people, driven by curiosity, to peek at the opposite sex's nudity or observe others' sexual activities. However, such behavior is often replaced by their own sexual experiences, so it does not constitute this condition. Voyeurs often feel shy or awkward around women, leading them to peek, or they may encounter obstacles in normal sexual behavior, prompting such actions. This is the psychoanalytic explanation. The behavioral school, on the other hand, attributes it to the conditioned reinforcement resulting from accidental peeking that leads to sexual arousal.

bubble_chart Clinical Manifestations

Patients go to great lengths to secretly watch women using the toilet, bathing, or engaging in sexual activities, even risking sneaking into women's restrooms, bathhouses, or bedrooms. Some endure filth by carrying mirrors into public toilets, crawling into sewage pits, or hiding on beams or balcony windows to spy. They derive sexual pleasure from observing women undressing or being naked in the bathroom, though they impose no sexual acts on them. Some masturbate on the spot or later recall the scenes for sexual gratification. The women being watched may remain unaware, but their behavior is often discovered by passersby and reported to the authorities.

The diagnostic criteria for voyeurism in CCMD-2-R are: ① Meeting the diagnostic criteria for sexual deviation; ② Repeatedly harboring the intention to secretly observe the nudity or sexual activities of unfamiliar individuals of the opposite sex over a period of more than six months, driven by intense sexual desire and arousal; ③ Having acted on these intentions.

bubble_chart Treatment Measures

There have been reports on treatments such as psychoanalysis, group therapy, and aversion therapy, but none have yielded definitive conclusions.

bubble_chart Prognosis

Little is known about the prognosis of this condition. There have been reports of individuals who did not reoffend after labor reeducation, as well as those who repeatedly committed crimes until old age.