Human Sexuality: Why are (most) strip teasers and nude sunbathers not exhibitionists?
Exhibitionism is a type of sexual disorder where people expose their genital parts to other people, usually strangers, and experience sexual arousal while doing so. Exhibitionists are usually aware of the need to shock or surprise unsuspecting observers. Most exhibitionists tend to be male and their victims are usually children or women. Additionally, exhibitionists rarely seek sexual contact hence they rarely commit rape. The DSM 5 criteria for diagnosing exhibitionist disorder states that diagnosis is made if the actions result in significant clinical distress and impairment in occupational, social, or academic life (Varregoso et al., 2016).
Most nude sunbathers and strip teasers are not exhibitionists mainly because their actions are not meant for unsuspecting strangers. Strip teasers often perform in the presence of consenting adults. Most nude sunbathers do not remove their clothes in front of strangers to achieve sexual arousal. Nude sunbathers mainly focus on getting even tans and like the feeling of the wind and sun on their naked bodies. Moreover, there are some exclusive areas where nude sunbathing is allowed, and going to these areas does not mean that a person is mentally ill. Furthermore, nude sunbathers and strip teasers rarely experience clinical distress from their actions hence they cannot be diagnosed with exhibitionism.
References
Varregoso, M. I., Coelho, S., Borges, G., & Xavier, R. (2016). About an exhibitionism clinical case: Entity’s review and State of the art exposure. European Psychiatry, 33(S1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.2214