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The ever-expanding lists of “paraphilias” eventually proved unsatisfactory even to psychiatrists, and thus they began to shorten and revise it. Such revisions are likely to continue in the future. In the meantime, there is already a general consensus that one should distinguish between two kinds of erotic variations:
1. Erotic variations that do not harm others and are simply odd or rare. These are best ignored or tolerated by society as long as they remain private and do not call undue public attention to themselves. If they do, the appropriate social reaction depends on the circumstances. For individual couples, there is a simple rule: If such a variation stabilizes or at least does not impair the relationship, there is no problem. However, if it causes disagreement and disharmony, the couple may have to separate and look for more suitable partners.
2. Erotic variations that cause some concrete harm to another person or are troubling to the individual concerned (for example, because they are compulsive). Depending on the case, some professional attention may be helpful or even required. This may be some psychiatric or other medical treatment, but it may also be some form of non-medical psychological counseling. If the law has been broken, some form of law enforcement may be called for: Arrest and trial, possibly punishment. In some cases, the punishment may have to be augmented or followed by therapy. In very rare cases, the offender may have to be committed to a psychiatric institution for many years or even for the rest of his life. In other rare cases, he may be found not responsible for his criminal actions and may be so committed without punishment.
The complexity of the issues involved here does not allow us a thorough discussion in this course. However, in the following brief sections, we can provide at least some examples of both kinds of erotic variations.
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