Bestiality: An introduction for legal and mental health professionals

Bestiality, or human-animal intercourse, has been a concern of the legal and mental health communities for many years. Ancient legal codes delineated punishments for those who engaged in the behavior, denoting a moral and general societal concern surrounding bestiality dating to ancient times. Despite this longstanding interest in and legal efforts to punish humans for having sex with animals, there has been little research on the behavior. Current available research has largely been siloed based on the populations studied, making it difficult to render any firm conclusions about bestiality's prevalence, frequency, and the risk posed by those who have sex with animals. It is important for clinicians to know the legal status of the behavior in their jurisdictions, to understand possible medical and psychiatric complications and comorbidities, and to know how to evaluate and treat individuals who engage in bestiality or have the related diagnosis of zoophilic disorder. This article provides an overview of the terminology and research pertaining to bestiality, summarizes legal and ethical considerations, and describes clinically relevant information for the evaluation and management of individuals engaged in sex with animals.