Paraphilic Interests in the Czech Population: Prevalence, Prior Offending, and Clinical Characteristics

Paraphilic interests concerning individuals who are unwilling or unable to consent are risk factors for sexual offending. Treatment may help mitigate this risk and alleviate distress. The current study collected data on six such interests (pedophilia, hebephilia, exhibitionism, frotteurism, coercive sexual sadism, and biastophilia), as well as distress, sexual offending, help-seeking, satisfaction with sex life, and social acceptance in a population-based quota sample of 6491 Czechs. About 9% of the population reported at least one of the studied paraphilic interests, with estimates ranging from 0.9% to 4.5%. There were strong positive links between the paraphilic interests and detected sexual offending, with a median odds ratio of 7.56 (range: 5.09-19.54). Findings were mixed with regard to differences in sexual satisfaction or social acceptance when comparing participants with and without paraphilic interests. Fewer than half of individuals with a paraphilic interest associated with nonconsent reported distress, and among those, only a few reported help-seeking during the last five years. The most frequently reported reason for not seeking help was a lack of interest in such services, rather than a lack of services, shame, or stigma. Results indicate that treatment motivation and distress may be less prevalent, and issues related to sexual life satisfaction and acceptance less severe, among people with paraphilic interests associated with nonconsent in the general population than previously assumed.