Mailbag: Looks Can Kill
The recent poll attempting to rank the perversions produced some very fascinating results. Necrophilia is clearly the kink that the majority of you considers most perverse, in spite of some compelling arguments that pedophilia is more perverse because more harmful to the victim. Presumably there is a strong visceral response underlying the perceived perversity of necrophilia, and yet there are probably ways you could reframe the question to lessen that gut reaction. For example, suppose some freaked-out torturer forced you to choose between these alternatives: embrace the cadaver of a beautiful person or smear yourself with the excrement of an equally beautiful person. Which would you really find more repugnant?
Tellingly, no one (to date) has voted for coprophilia or necrophilia as the least perverse of perversions. So far the majority of you think the least perverse kink is voyeurism. Probably this is because we all harbor little voyeurs in our heads. But there is a difference between the low-grade voyeurism of the “normal” person and the higher-grade act of peeping in windows, setting up surveillance cameras in the showers of roommates, and so forth. To emphasize this distinction, Peter emailed PervScan a brief essay on the connection between voyeurism and serial murder.
Peeping Tom and Serial Murder: A Definitive Link
First of all, let me clarify what I’m going to talk about. The crime of Peeping Tom is directly linked to an escalation in crime, which eventually leads, in some cases, to serial murder.
For most of PervScan’s readers, Peeping Tom might be considered a relatively harmless voyeuristic pursuit. After all, usually the man watches the woman in her bedroom or bathroom, undressing, dressing or showering, and is widely believed the man gets his rocks off and leaves soon after.
For most cases this is true, but in a number of cases over the last 10 years, Peeping Tom criminals change their criminal acts.
Some voyeurs get bored with merely being a Peeping Tom. Others get so good at it that the risk of being caught is so low that it’s no longer fun (half the fun is the risk of getting caught). Others enjoy what they see so much that they want more!
Peeping Tom can quickly graduate (with honours!) to public indecency or residential burglary. If burglary is chosen by the Peeping Tom, sometimes it’s a purely sexual burglary: a burglary without the reasoning to steal a victim’s goods. It’s a sexual crime, just because they are in the house their victim has been inside while he/she looked at her.
After the escalation to public indecency (exposing oneself), or residential burglary, it again escalates after 3-12 months to full-on confrontations, usually sexual assault or full-blown rape. Again, eventually the criminals get bored with sex, and want to hurt (sadism) and kill (murder) the victim.
Over the last 10 years there have been countless examples of the link between Peeping Tom and Serial Murder.
Derrick Todd Lee — a black serial killer infamous for murdering women all over Baton Rouge and Louisiana, started off as a peeping tom in the mid-late 90s.
Mark Dixie — a white Peeping Tom-turned-Serial Killer from Croydon, South London and Surrey. In 2001, he masturbated in front of several women using telephone booths all over London. DNA was taken in every instance, and was matched to that of Sally Anne Bowman’s killer.
Ted Bundy — Peeping Tom-turned-Serial Killer. “He became a Peeping Tom. He occasionally disabled a woman’s car to make her more vulnerable, without actually doing anything to her. He found these behaviors sexually arousing and masturbated while doing them. He also began shoplifting for expensive items and told his mom that they were gifts. He was picked up at least twice by juvenile authorities for suspicion of auto theft and burglary, but nothing came of it.”
Tatsuya Ichihachi — Japanese Peeping Tom-turned-murderer. “In early 2007 in Japan, 22 year old Lindsay Hawker was found dead in the apartment belonging to her student Tatsuya Ichihachi. Ichihachi was a confessed peeping Tom who had sick violent fantasies. Hawker was found dead in a bath of sand in his apartment. The bath tub was actually filled with sand with the victim placed inside. Police found her nude with bruises covering her boy, and her hand was sticking out from her ‘grave.’ Hawker’s torn clothes were found close by.”
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-IV, certain voyeuristic fantasies, urges and behavior patterns are classified as a paraphilia with code 302.82.[1]
Criminalization
In some cultures, voyeurism is considered to be deviant and even a sex crime. In the United Kingdom, non-consensual voyeurism became a criminal offense on May 1, 2004, under section 67 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 .
Diagnostics
This Paraphilia is characterized by sexual fantasies, urges, or behaviors involving observing an unknowing and non-consenting person, usually unclothed and/or engaged in sexual activity, to produce sexual excitement.
Diagnostic criteria for 302.82 Voyeurism( cautionary statement)
A. Over a period of at least 6 months, recurrent, intense sexually arousing fantasies, sexual urges, or behaviors involving the act of observing an unsuspecting person who is naked, in the process of disrobing, or engaging in sexual activity.
B. The person has acted on these urges, or the sexual urges or fantasies cause marked distress or interpersonal difficulty.
Reprinted with permission from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. Copyright 2000 American Psychiatric Association
Maybe it’s time we re-think what a “harmless” voyeuristic act can really cause to happen.
Although I only mentioned 4 cases, there are well in excess of 30 I know of, mostly in America, where Peeping Tom has eventually led to Serial Murder.
That serial killers should engage in voyeuristic behavior is not surprising, but it is not clear that there is a symmetrical link between the two. In other words, the fact that serial killers tend to be voyeurs does not mean that voyeurs have a propensity for serial murder. In any event, to recognize a link between the two may well restore to voyeurism some of its perversity.
I agree that this is no proof of a symmetrical link; but furthermore, it is no reason to rank voyeurism higher. Voyeurism, in essence, is the sexual preference to watch and not to engage. If they get bored doing so, or want more, then they are simply not Voyeurists.
I agree. After reading what Halene said. As I was reading this article, I was thinking “Oh boy, I didn’t think that voyeurism could be that dangerous”, or more likely “I didn’t think of it like that.” But I believe now that the reason why the behavior of the voyeur escalates into something far more dangerous than just voyeurism is due to the nature of the person. The person is brazen, and chooses to engage in a more explosive behavior such as rape or murder, at the end. These are separate acts, derived from the brazen nature of the offender, not an escalation of voyeurism.
Anonimous, I think you’re missing the point a bit.
I am not saying that every peeping tom will become a serial killer, or that every serial killer is a peeping tom.
I was demonstrating that people who originally start of as, and intend to remain as just mere ‘peeping tom’s’, can experience an escalation in behaviour that was unexpected.
I’m pretty sure that the 4 serial killers I mentioned never thought, when they started watching women through bedroom windows, that they would end up a serial killer featured on national tv and crime shows, do you?
And if you believe psychopathic behaviour is a ‘choice’, then you’re clearly living in a world of your own.
No, the acts are not seperate. In order to understand serial murder, the entire persons life must be viewed as a continuous stream. One act feeds another, which feeds another. Escalation, de-humanization, objectification and rationalization.
There are in reality, very few serial murderers who just start suddenly killing people. Almost all have an escalation of crimes, and many start with voyeuristic behaviours. Others start with burglaries and thefts.
Secondly, I never claimed a ‘’symmetrical link’.
Voyeurisim is not a sexual preference. Voyeurism isn’t something you can love with emotion or make love to. Heterosexual, Homosexual, Bi-Sexual, Voyeursexual??? I don’t think so.
Voyeurism is a deviant human disorder, a paraphilia. The evidence is quite clear.
Perhaps I did miss the point. Being a serial killer is not being a voyeur, but it feeds off of it. One behavior feuls another, maybe that’s what you are saying. These voyeurs or peeping toms were just that when they started, but that behavior feuled another behavior connected to that, so they became more than just peeping toms. Isn’t that what you’re saying? When you say there no claimed symmetrical link, you mean that voyeurs CAN become serial killers, as there is a connection from one behavior to another, but they don’t neccessarily have to?
Disorder is a bit harsh, Peter. Voyeurism is a preference just like homosexuality, heterosexuality, BDSM etc. You wouldn’t condemn a man for loving Brussels sprouts while detesting carrots, would you?
Secondly, if I’m not mistaken, you’re trying to reason with us why Voyeurism is extra deviant by putting a link between Voyeurism and serial killers. For this to say anything about Voyeurism, there should be a symmetrical link; most serial killers are male, but that doesn’t mean every single man should be considered a potential serial killer.
A little while ago Pervscan mentioned that almost all paedophiles are Trekkies. This probably fits into their personality or something, but to establish a link between it? In the future there will be aliens on earth, so I can sodomise the kid next door today.
BDSM and Voyeurism is not a preference.
A preference determines whether you like men, women, both, or none.
BDSM and Voyeurism are paraphilias, mental disorders involving attraction to things that sane invididuals don’t.
You can’t have sex with Voyeurism, you can’t catch touch voyeurism, ask it out for a date, or marry it, therefore it’s not a preference but a behvaiour.
I never said Voyeurism is extra deviant. I believe it’s a bit more deviant than most people give it credit for, because the public seem to think it’s this harmless activity. In vulnerable minds, voyeurism can be the beginning of a descent into dangerous behaviour.
Preferences take all different kinds of vorms. Some prefer having heterosexual sex, others prefer to be tied to a bed, or watch people be tied up. Also, I believe it goes much too far to fescribe the people who prefer these acts as insane for the reason I already mentioned; you wouldn’t call a person insane for prefering the colour caput mortuum, because ’sane people are not attracted to it’.
“I never said Voyeurism is extra deviant. I believe it’s a bit more deviant than most people give it credit for, because the public seem to think it’s this harmless activity.”
Ok Halene, we’ll call voyeurism a preference. While we’re at it, we’ll also call serial murder, child abuse, public oral sodomy, and ripping breasts off of women a preference, and thereby, cathartically dispel any idea that their ‘behaviour’ is odd or wrong. Everything is good, normal and ok, because it’s a preference.
Uh huh, fucking sure mate.
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