Criminal paraphilia is an area that garners much controversy due to variations in cultural and social norms. One uncontested attribute is that it involves not giving consent or not being able to give consent. Some paraphilia are “wobblers” meaning they can cross over into criminal behavior because they involve victimization rather than gaining legal consent. While being sexually aroused by hair is not a crime, stealing a person’s hairbrush to gain access to their hair is a crime. Similarly, not all sex offenders are sexual predators.
For this Discussion, be prepared to discuss differences between sex offenders and sexual predators. How does criminal paraphilia fit into the construct of a sexual predator? Can a person be a sex offender and engage in criminal paraphilia? Do you think we can effectively treat sex offenders and/or sexual predators? How does the Internet and social media, in particular, facilitate criminal paraphilia? Consider the types of sex crimes that occur in your community. Is there one or more ways those types of sex crimes could be reduced?