Exhibitionism is a reality that can affect almost all of us!

Exhibitionism doesn’t leave almost anyone unnoticed. Some claim that everyone, without exception, has a bit of an exhibitionist in them. The evidence seems to indicate they’re right. Think about how many times you look in the mirror to gauge the impact your gym body will have on other people’s eyes. If you don’t have that “showable” muscle, calculate the same amount of time you spend studying to hide your belly. Then consider how you strut around that hottie you hooked up with and who talks about how you have what it takes to satisfy them.

Most animal species show off their weapons to prevail and get the best mate. That’s part of the species’ perpetuation mechanism. But this is about exhibitionism as a paraphilia, not strutting or vanity.

James (not his real name) agreed to talk to us. He can be found under a pseudonym on an app dedicated to voyeurs, who search for models or exhibitionists on screen to masturbate with. The models receive money or “tokens” from their followers, but there are others on the site who are clearly identified as “exhibitionists” and who don’t get paid. James, and the “other Jameses,” are examples that arousing nudity isn’t dominated by women. Search results for naked men prove it. Searches for images of naked men are actually no less frequent than searches for images of naked women.

“Since I was a teenager, I liked being watched. I would walk naked through the showers so the others would look at me. I’m neither gay nor straight; the truth is, I’m a bit of a mix. What turns me on is knowing that people are watching me. I don’t care if men or women are watching,” he says. This was followed by “going to a park, a dark street, and showing my… (penis), especially to women. What turned me on was seeing how they reacted. If I saw the fear on their faces, the next best thing would be to go home and masturbate. Doing this in the chat room has relieved my anxiety, but nothing compares to exposing yourself in a public place and being watched in person.”

What is exhibitionism?

Exhibitionism is defined as the moment in which a person has strong impulses, behaviors, and continuous fantasies that involve exposing their genitals to others—usually strangers—in public places. These impulses commonly appear in adolescence and are defined as a full manifestation by adulthood. In fact, exhibitionism is considered a disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. Crimes motivated by exhibitionism are the most frequent in the category of sexual crimes, according to police records. Their counterparts are crimes of voyeurism without consent, or “peeping toms.” Exhibitionism occurs in women and men, although the number of documented episodes among women is much lower. In the case of men, some colleagues consider it a response to feelings of powerlessness and insecurity.

The case of many amateur internet models is what is currently called “mediated exhibitionism.” This is making the phenomenon of exhibitionism more consensual, and as long as the target isn’t a minor, in many places there’s no criminal offense for this “I’ll show you, you watch, and we all enjoy” game. A more tangible alternative is sex clubs, saunas, and swingers clubs where the clientele is adults and aware of what people are looking for and doing in those places; it’s a margin of legality and safety. As for our thoughts on the subject, we don’t judge or offer opinions here. We simply present the facts so everyone is informed. (Furthermore, there are couples who like to do it in public because of the risk of being caught.)