Courtship disorder is a theoretical construct insexology developed byKurt Freund in which a certain set ofparaphilias are seen as specific instances of anomalouscourtship instincts in humans.^[1] The specific paraphilias arebiastophilia (paraphilicrape),exhibitionism,frotteurism,telephone scatologia, andvoyeurism. According to thecourtship disorder hypothesis, there is a species-typical courtship process in humans consisting of four phases, and anomalies in different phases result in one of these paraphilic sexual interests. According to the theory, instead of being independent paraphilias, these sexual interests are individual symptoms of a single underlying disorder.^[2]

According to thecourtship disorder hypothesis, there is a species-typical courtship process in humans consisting of four phases.^[3][4] These phases are: "(1) looking for and appraising potential sexual partners; (2) pretactile interaction with those partners, such as by smiling at and talking to them; (3) tactile interaction with them, such as by embracing or petting; (4) and then sexual intercourse."^[5]

The associations between these phases and these paraphilias were first outlined byKurt Freund,^[6][7] the originator of the theory: A disturbance of the search phase of courtship manifests asvoyeurism, a disturbance of the pretactile interaction phase manifests asexhibitionism ortelephone scatologia, a disturbance of the tactile interaction phase manifests as toucheurism orfrotteurism, and the absence of the courtship behavior phases manifests as paraphilicrape (i.e.,biastophilia). According to Freund, these paraphilias "can be conceptualized as a preference for a pattern of behavior orerotic fantasy in which one of these four phases of sexual interaction is intensified and distorted to such an extent that it appears to be a caricature of the normal, while the remaining phases are either omitted entirely or are retained only in a vestigial way."^[8]

Freund noted thattroilism (a paraphilia for observing one's sexual/romantic partner sexually interacting with a third party, usually unbeknownst to the third party)^[9] might also be a courtship disorder,^[8][10] troilism being a variant of voyeurism.

Appropriate behaviors depend on the social and cultural context, including time and place. Some behaviors that are unacceptable under most circumstances, such aspublic nudity or sexual contact between dancers, may be accepted or even encouraged during celebrations likeCarnival orMardi Gras. Where such cultural festivals alter normative courtship behaviors, the signs of courtship disorder may be masked or altered.^[11]

Paraphilias within the Courtship Disorder spectrum co-occur with each other more frequently than with paraphilias outside the courtship disorder spectrum.^{[12][13][14][15]} The courtship disorder model offers an underlying common cause for these paraphilias in men to explain this co-occurrence.^[6][7]

Courtship disorder is widely cited bysexologists and forensic scientists as one of the predominant models of the paraphilias.^{[16][17][18][19][20]} Murphy and Page wrote that "The 'Courtship Disorder Theory' of Freund is one of the only theories specific to exhibitionism."^[21] According to Lavin (2008), "Freund's theory, more than the others, makes it clear that the ordering of activities ... has clinical significance."^[22]

Another theoretically based taxonomy of the paraphilias was proposed byJohn Money, who described the range of paraphilic interests aslovemaps.^[23]

• John Hinckley Jr.

• Interpersonal relationships
• Exhibitionism
• Sexual fetishism
• Sexuality and society

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• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata