Definitions of Characterization Methods of Characterization

Smith divides sexual variants into thirteen types. The first is male and female homosexuality. This condition is based on the sexual attraction of a person to another within the same gender 138. The second is bisexuality. Bisexuality is considered as one of homosexual types. Bisexuals are “individuals who engage in both homosexual and heterosexual practices during a sustained period”. Many homosexuals who are desperate with their homosexuality life would fit into this category 139. The third is transvestism and transsexualism. Transvestism covers those who achieve sexual excitement by dressing as a member of the opposite sex, while transsexualism is a case of “a person who feels “trapped” in a body of the opposite sex”. There is an indication that their cross-gender identity began in childhood and continued into adulthood 139. The fourth is prostitution. It is a kind of sexual relations as a transaction, in return for money 140. The fifth is fetishism. The sufferer is interested to some body parts of inanimate objects, such as an article of clothing 140. The sixth is sexual variants involving nonconsent or assault, which involves “a definite element of injury or significant risk of injury, physical or psychological, to one or more parties involved in a sexual encounter” 140. The seventh is voyeurism. It refers to the achievement of sexual pleasure through secretly looking at the forbidden; for example, undressing female 140. The eighth is exhibitionism. Exhibitionist gets sexual excitement by exposing the genital part to members of the opposite sex under inappropriate conditions; such as in parks or more public places 141. The ninth is sadism, in which the sufferer achieves sexual stimulation and gratification by inflicting physical pain on the sexual partner 141. The tenth is masochism; it “includes deriving pleasure from self-denial, expiatory physical suffering such as that of religious flagellant, and suffering in general” 141. The eleventh is incest. It happens when there is a sexual relation between family members within the same blood 141. The twelfth is pedophilia, with children as the object of sexual pleasure 142. The last type is rape. Raping is “sexual intercourse or unnatural sexual intercourse by a person with another who is compelled to submit to force” 142.

2.1.4.3 Causes of Abnormal Sexuality

Abnormal sexuality or sexual perversions may happen because of some stimulation. According to Alan Stone and Sue Smart Stone, “perversions, like any other symptoms, are not simply fixations, but also represent an attempt to deal with anxiety or conflict” 319. Smith states that there are some factors which are seen as the causes of abnormal sexuality. Sexual dysfunctions may be affected by genital injuries, disease, fatigue, excessive alcohol, and others as follows Smith 137. The first is faulty learning. It can lead young people to start out with wrong expectations and information that possibly impair their sexual adequacy 138. The second concerns feelings of fear, anxiety, and inadequacy. They are attributed to faulty learning and later aversive experiences 138. Interpersonal problems are also considered as a factor. Emotions and feelings take roles in this factor 138. The fourth is changing male-female roles and relationships. Sometimes men feel less dominant than women who expect too much in the relationship, so that it affects men sexually 138. Other factors are homosexuality, low sex drive, and rejection and disturbed family background