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Coercive paraphilic disorder.

Vernon L Quinsey¹

¹Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada. vern.quinsey@queensu.ca

Archives of Sexual Behavior

|October 2, 2009

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Sexual coercion, a form of sexual conflict, may not be pathological as it can enhance male evolutionary fitness. However, a subset of men exhibit a higher propensity for rape, linked to antisocial traits and specific sexual interests.

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary psychology
Forensic psychology
Clinical psychology

Background:

Sexual coercion is viewed as a manifestation of sexual conflict.
Wakefield's (1992) criteria suggest sexual coercion is not inherently pathological because it can increase Darwinian fitness.
Individual differences exist in men's propensity for sexual coercion and rape.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the concept of sexual coercion within the framework of sexual conflict.
To examine the potential for classifying high-propensity rapists as pathological.
To investigate the feasibility of developing diagnostic criteria for identifying such individuals.

Main Methods:

Conceptual analysis based on evolutionary theory and existing psychological frameworks.
Review of literature linking rape propensity to personality characteristics and sexual interests.
Exploration of diagnostic criteria development for pathological sexual behaviors.

Main Results:

Sexual coercion can be adaptive from an evolutionary standpoint, thus not meeting criteria for pathology.
A subset of men demonstrates a heightened propensity for rape.
This propensity is associated with antisocial personality traits and a preference for violent sexual imagery.

Conclusions:

While sexual coercion itself may not be pathological, a high propensity for rape in certain individuals warrants further investigation.
Identifying and potentially diagnosing highly rape-prone men could be a future clinical and forensic endeavor.
Understanding the link between antisocial personality, sexual interests, and rape propensity is crucial for developing diagnostic criteria.