Voyeurism

Voyeurism

Voyeurism is when one derives sexual enjoyment through the act of watching others.

What is Being Watched Although the person practicing voyeurism is deriving sexual pleasure from watching others, the nature of what the other person or people are doing doesn’t necessarily have to be sexual in nature. While some who practice voyeurism prefer watching acts that are explicitly sexual (i.e. intercourse, masturbation, etc), there are also those who prefer to watch acts that may not widely be considered sexual (i.e. cooking, cleaning, etc.). Essentially, the locus of sexual arousal is generally with the voyeur and the person or persons being watched may not consider what they’re doing as sexual.

Non-Consensual Voyeurism Colloquially referred to as a “peeping tom,” a non-consensual voyeur is a person who watches others without their permission. Aside from the watching itself, sexual arousal, in this case, may also be linked to the thrill of potential discovery and/or getting caught while watching.

Consensual Voyeurism Consensual voyeurism happens when one or more people negotiate a time, place or setting to watch others. Negotiations can be done instantaneously in the moment or can be negotiated ahead of time. Consensual voyeurism can also occur in venues designed for sexual play, like sex clubs. Although rules and expectations will vary at each venue, these clubs provide a consensual space where it is expected that there will be watching occurring. Another widely accepted form of consensual voyeurism is the watching of pornography or the consumption of sexually explicit media.*

Voyeur as an Identity Category Although widely defined as anyone who watches others (generally without their permission), there are some who utilize the term “voyeur” specifically as a description of sexual identity. Doing so may aid in finding exhibitionist partners for play or other voyeurs with which to watch others.

*This statement works off of the assumption that the people depicted in the sexually explicit media have done so with fully informed consent.